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Those emojis don't mean what you think they mean
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Many parents are unaware that many emoji have double meanings which can be sexual or violent in nature. Time to pull heads out of sand and learn what symbolism might be involved. - photo by Amy Iverson
Emojis have taken over our texting lives. I, for one, have been a fierce hater of emojis since the good old days of :). But I have acquiesced to some degree, realizing that it makes someone feel good to see a little kissy face with a heart once in a while.

See, it made you feel good, right?

And I am not alone. According to a report, 92 percent of the online population admits to using emojis. Women may use them a bit more than men, but age isnt really a factor. Grandpas and tween girls alike will throw in a heart or a "laughing until you cry" face once in a while.

But, as always, people have turned much of the fun playfulness of emojis into something often more sinister or carnal.

Earlier this month, Apple replaced the pistol emoji with a lime-green water gun. While some yelled about free speech, Apple may be saving people from themselves. A 12-year-old Virginia girl faced charges after she posted an Instagram message referencing the library, followed by the pistol, knife and bomb emojis.

The emojis people can use as symbols of violence are obvious: bomb, skull, knife. But just as worrisome are the emojis texters are using for sexual references. I guess its one thing if adults in committed relationships are using these as playful banter, but I doubt many parents would approve of teenagers sending these to one another.

Rule of thumb: If an emoji looks like a certain body part, that is how the younger generation is using it. It is essential parents know the meanings behind these emojis. If we let ignorance prevail, theres no need for Mom and Dad to occasionally check teens texts, because they wont be able to decipher them anyway. I understand some children may be perfect, but even if parents choose to believe that, they surely dont believe other peoples children are perfect.

So while moms and dads may not need this emojication to translate their kids outgoing texts, at least they can admit it may be necessary to flag texts coming in to their teens phones.

Now, if you are faint of heart, proceed with caution, because some of the following explanations may make you gasp and clutch your pearls.

  • Banana, eggplant or rooster emojis male sexual organ
  • Peach emoji buttocks or female genitalia
  • Taco emoji female genitalia
  • Filmstrip emoji request for nude pictures
  • Movie camera emoji inappropriate video
  • Computer emoji inappropriate Skyping
Some combinations depict sexual acts. For instance, the hand emoji followed by two peaches refers to sexual touching.

There are many more. I am just skimming the surface here. Mind you, some of these are easy to figure out if someone uses them in context. But parents should simply be aware that emojis can have more than one meaning and may spell trouble if thrown on to the end of a seemingly innocent text.

Maybe parents will luck out and never see any of these used inappropriately on one of their kids phones. Its good precautionary knowledge to have just in case. Similar to how Urban Dictionary helped parents figure out a lot of slang and acronyms kids started using in texting and real life, there are emoji-type dictionaries to use as reference.

Here are some popular ones:

Emojipedia

Emoji Dictionary

Emojisaurus

Emoji Translate

This whole idea of people using emoji in sexual or violent ways will be ever-changing. When iOS 10 comes out in September, 72 new emojis will likely come with it. Included will be a Pinocchio face, a carrot, a shopping cart and, my favorite, bacon.

But who knows in what lascivious context teenagers will use these new symbols. Im not sure parents can ever be ahead of the game on this. But, moms and dads should do their best to at least keep up with the times so they can help navigate their kids through this magnificent, sometimes scary, digital world.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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