What do online abbreviations/acronyms mean?

You may see a child or teenager typing furiously during an instant messaging (IM) session and when you peek over their shoulder – you see only short or fractured words. It almost looks like an entirely new language. What does it mean? These abbreviated words, known as acronyms or online lingo, are shorthand for common phrases used in spoken English. Below is a list of common acronyms:

143: I love you
AISI: as I see it
ASL: age/sex/location
BF: boyfriend
BRB: be right back
BTW: by the way
F2f: face to face
GF: girlfriend
IDK: I don’t know
IMO: in my opinion
INDB: it's no big deal
IRL: in real life
ISS: I said so
JK: just kidding
K: okay
KIT: keep in touch
LDR: long distance relationship
LMIRL: let’s meet in real life
LOL: laughing out loud
M/F: male or female
N/P: no problem
NTK: nice to know
OMFG: oh my f***** god
OMG: oh my god
OTP: on the phone
P911: my parents are coming
PAL: parents are listening
PAW: parents are watching
PDA: public display of affection
PIR: parent in room
POS: parent over shoulder
PPL: people
S2R: send to receive
STFU: shut the f*** up
ROFL: rolling on floor laughing
THX: thanks
TTYL: talk to you later
TY: thank you
WT? what the
WTG: way to go
WTGP: want to go private?

Parents and guardians should be aware of what your children are saying in their conversations and what types of people they are communicating with. The Peruvian Net against Child Pornography recommends reviewing your child's buddy list periodically and making sure that the only people on the list are those that your and your children know and trust in real life. Download a list of even more, common online acronyms from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.