A parent’s guide to emojis in teen speak

When we were kids being social meant spending hours on the phone or hanging out at the local mall. Love it or loathe it, today’s teens interact electronically with texts and “snaps.” That is how they meet, communicate, and assess social status. And forget about Facebook and Twitter. These days teenagers are hooked on Instagram and Snapchat.

In what appears to be a 50/50 split with words, emojis are a critical part of that communiqué. But the message does not always match the symbol. We queried some local teens to get the skinny on what 10 popular emojis really mean.Yellow face with heart eyes – I like you!

The moon emoji – That’s awkward!

The plug – He or she is my source i.e., that’s where I get my Nikes from

The ellipsis “thought” bubble – I’m thinking about you

The bashful see-no-evil monkey – Thanks. I really appreciate it!

The two eyes – What’s up? Or, you are on my radar

Crying with tears – I’m crying so hard I’m laughing

Ocean wave – That’s so cool in a “wave of the future” or futuristic way

The engagement ring – He or she is worthy of a ring

Winking face – I think you are cute