Sending messages with emojis is a quick, fun way for kids and teens to communicate. Adults love them, too.
But there are some secret emoji messages that can have a darker, more insidious meaning.
Here are several emojis that have secret hidden meanings.
Buying, Selling and Using Drugs
In this first batch, we’ll take a look at emojis being used to signal drug use or the buying and selling of illegal drugs:
Talking About and Planning Sex
There are just as many emojis to signal covert sexual activity:
While the actual image may differ between phone carrier or chat app that’s being used, the messages are the same.
Emojis for Insults and Bullying
Bullying and under the radar insults are a common use of emojis. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between what is harmless joking and what rises to the level of real concern:
Some of these are very obvious, but others can be pretty difficult to decode. For example, what does the frog emoji mean? To many it would look like an innocent fairy tale reference, but it’s also calling someone ugly. Get it? Like a frog before they get kissed.
See below for an example of how that “ugly” frog emoji can be used in an emoji sentence.
It Can Get Pretty Complicated
Often teens will combine strings of seemingly innocuous emojis to form secret sentences, these can get pretty creative and complex. It can feel like you’re trying to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics…
Many emojis will have multiple meanings. Is the sender joking that they don’t want to answer a question? Are they telling someone not to share a harmless secret?
Or are they threatening someone to ensure they don’t tell the authorities about a crime? It’s critical to make sure you understand the context of the message.
Also keep in mind that kids and teens can signal when parents are around with written text codes like 9, CD9, and Code9. Using KPC (keeping parents clueless) and 99 (parents gone) are red flags that might require attention.
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