Hashtags have become a normal part of everyday vernacular thanks to social media. By simply putting a pound (#) sign in front of a word like #OverIt or acronym, such as #tbt (throw back Thursday) social network users especially on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and now Facebook, can easily join a specific conversation on that topic. Often, hashtags define conversations and spread quickly throughout the online world (yes, kind of like gossip).<\/p>\n
Increasingly, more than just define a conversation, hashtags can be used as verbal extensions<\/em> that express hate, love, irony, or humor.<\/p>\n In the world of teen communication, however, a hashtag can provide valuable insight and emotional red flags for a parent . . . if that parent is paying attention.<\/p>\n For instance, some concerning hashtags that have emerged include #thighgap, a hashtag used by young girls who want to be so skinny that when they put their legs together their thighs don\u2019t touch. Closely related to #thighgap are hashtags such as #thinspro, #thinspiration, and #ana; all hashtags used by people (often teens) talking about anorexia or some form of eating disorder.<\/p>\n Other eating disorders hashtags might include: Self harm, depression hashtags might include: <\/b>Bullying hashtags might include:<\/strong><\/p>\n #wtf = what the f***<\/p>\n #derp = stupid<\/p>\n #butters = ugly<\/p>\n #jelly = jealous<\/p>\n #subtweet = talking about someone but not using their\u00a0@name<\/p>\n #gokillyourself<\/p>\n #bizzle = another word for b***h<\/p>\n #thot or #thotties = a promiscuous girl<\/p>\n #yag = you are gay<\/p>\n #beyouch = another word for b***h<\/p>\n #rab = rude a** b***h<\/p>\n Hashtags that may be red flags include:<\/strong><\/p>\n #chirped = got caught<\/p>\n #420\u00a0= marijuana<\/p>\n #cu46\u00a0= See you for sex<\/p>\n #lmirl\u00a0= let\u2019s meet in real life<\/p>\n #pron\u00a0= Porn<\/p>\n #frape = Facebook rape; posting to someone else\u2019s profile when they leave it logged in.<\/p>\n #nsfw = not safe for work (post will include nudity, etc)<\/p>\n #bullied<\/p>\n #livingdangerously = taking selfies while driving or some other unsafe behavior<\/p>\n #kikmessenger = let\u2019s talk on kik instant message instead<\/p>\n Hashtags that look strange but are okay<\/span> include:<\/strong><\/p>\n #mupload = upload via mobile<\/p>\n #selfie = taking a picture of self<\/p>\n #turnt = have fun; get rowdy<\/p>\n #nah = no or not<\/p>\n #smh \u2013 shaking my head<\/p>\n #igers = Instagrammers<\/p>\n #igaddict = Instagram addict<\/p>\n #turnup = step it up<\/p>\n #mce = my crush everyday<\/p>\n #idek = I don’t even know<\/p>\n #bae = babe<\/p>\n #nah = no or not<\/p>\n #mcm = man crush Monay<\/p>\n #wcw = woman crush Wednesday<\/p>\n #hmu = hit me up<\/p>\n #so = Significant Other<\/p>\n #lmao = laughing my a** off<\/p>\n #ootd = outfit of the day<\/p>\n #yolo = you only live once<\/p>\n #ratchet = disgusting<\/p>\n #sick = cool<\/p>\n These hashtags represent a collective found on internetslang.com, urbandictionary.com, and via hundreds of teen account searches on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.<\/p>\n What hashtags have you come across that could help other parents?<\/i>\u00a0<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n Toni Birdsong<\/em> is a Family Safety Evangelist<\/a> to McAfee<\/a>. You can find her on Twitter @SafeEyes<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hashtags have become a normal part of everyday vernacular thanks to social media. By simply putting a pound (#) sign…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":642,"featured_media":201444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[100,142,2205,321],"coauthors":[3359],"class_list":["post-36480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-safety","tag-facebook","tag-tag-identity-theft","tag-protecting-kids-online","tag-social-networking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHashtags as Red Flags<\/h2>\n
\n<\/strong>#secretsociety123, #imnotokay, #bulimic, #ed, #bulimia, #fakesmile, #eatingdisorder, #bonespo, #anorexic #depression #anorexia #hipbones #purge #worthless #anxiety #mia #helpme #binge #paranoia #depressed #blithe #collarbones #blades<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>#suicidal, #razors, #harm, #selfharmmm, #selfinjury, #dead, #selfhate, #cuts, #worthless, #broken, #helpme, #sleepless, #tears, #heartbreak, #useless, #sick, #falling, #cantsleep, #helpme, #killme.<\/p>\n