The Secret Emoji Language Teens Use To Hide Online Activity

Emojis, we all know how cute they are to add in daily conversations, but can we realise that the cuteness behind the emojis can be dangerous and lead to harmful threats? For a surface, it looks like a simple face, a tiny fruit shape, or a random symbol we see in our daily routines. But the world we live in is becoming an internet globe, and now there are more chances of privacy threats, compromise on personal safety, and even bullying, predating, etc. The meaning of emojis can change completely; even a single fruit or vegetable sign can take on different, creepy meanings that parents never realised.

Common among teens and a source of coded language to hide conversations related to sensitive topics. It might be a secret relationship, trauma, risky behaviours, mental problems, or even the involvement of explicit materials. Emojis seem amusing, and in chats, they’re used as an entertaining way to communicate between both parties. But the meaning is constantly evolving, and you cannot now distinguish which emojis mean what. And remember, the emojis games are so strong that you cannot detect the danger before it grows. This way, they can convey messages right before grown-ups’ noses without them even realising it.

This blog post explores how and why teens use emojis to conceal their online behaviour, what certain popular emoji codes might mean, and, most importantly, how parents should handle such scenarios in a composed manner.

In a world where everything depends on screens, Gen Z now mostly uses shortcut methods to converse with peers. They might use different short words, which we call “Slang words”. A short text to understand the meaning, you need a full abbreviation or deep knowledge, as this generation has.  Among the slang, emojis are trending among the teens, and Social media series, policing efforts, and parenting books have brought this trend to public attention. In response, there are now lists and “emoji translation” guides that attempt to chart the meanings, but the map is changing quickly.

Emojis allow teens to express their meaning quickly, and their flexibility allows them to add new meanings to standard words. For the past few years, law enforcement agencies, schools, and child safety organisations have alerted the public that emojis are used as a means to conceal drug talk, sexual talk, hurting oneself, recruiting, or selling/buying, even when they are right in front of a parent who thinks that a picture means innocence.

Teens often use coded language that peers on the other side mainly understand. These secret emojis can convey information about sensitive topics, connections, and particular behaviours that look inconceivable but are not, and contain content that is not suitable for underage kids.

The eggplant emoji 🍆 and peach emoji 🍑 have become widely known symbols of male and female reproductive anatomy. Water droplets 💦, cherries 🍒, and bananas 🍌all contain similar meanings. The fire emoji 🔥 typically implies attraction or “hotness,” while the smirking face 😏 conveys flirting. Even seemingly harmless emojis such as corn 🌽, cucumber 🥒, and the pointing finger 👉, accompanied by the OK hand sign 👌, have explicit meanings that most parents easily overlook.

Teens use surprisingly creative combinations of emojis to talk about their drug use. The green leaf 🌿, Christmas tree 🎄, and broccoli 🥦 symbols stand for marijuana. The snowflake ❄️ and white heart 🤍 symbols refer to cocaine. Prescription drug use is obvious in the pill emoji 💊, but teens also use candy 🍭, lollipop 🍭, and rainbow 🌈 symbols. The fire emoji 🔥 indicates high-quality drugs, and the rocket 🚀 indicates strong drugs. The crown 👑 and diamond 💎 emojis refer to expensive or high-quality drugs.

The trend of emojis growing over the past few years, and now people mostly use them because they’re in combined chats. Now, thousands of emojis out there, each with a unique definition, but the meaning can change as per your context. The emojis market is growing, with new meanings emerging every day as they gain popularity among internet users. There are various ways to combine emojis to form messages; here are a few examples.

Smart teens can combine different emojis to construct complex coded messages that are innocent-looking to the naked eye. For example, clock emojis 🕐 and location pin emojis📍can be combined to organise meetings, while house 🏠 and key 🔑 emojis can be combined to signal when parents are not in the house. School-going 🏫 and sleeping 😴 emojis can be combined to signal skipping classes, while money 💰 and other symbols can be combined to construct transaction codes.

Snapchat is the most popular means of using coded emojis, followed by Instagram Stories and direct messages. The comments section of TikTok is also rife with emoji coding, whereas Discord servers set up special channels for different emoji coding communication. WhatsApp group chats and Telegram channels are also where such secretive communications take place, as teens are drawn to platforms that offer greater privacy from their parents.

At first glance, emojis seem harmless, but they can be a secret buddy in teen conversations. Every emoji has a meaning, and when used symmetrically, it can change that meaning, indicating something off or an explicit presence in the chats. It can be sexual talk, drug names, inappropriate content, or unsafe meetups. Parents or guardians should take a closer look at the emojis used in the kids’ conversations to detect warning signs early, before it’s too late.

Teens may use fruit and food emojis to share explicit content. Examples of such emojis include: 🍆 and 🍑 used for body parts, 🍒 for sexual encounters, 🍌 for sex acts, and 🍈 used for references to breasts.

Teens can use emojis about drugs. For example, it can represent the use of drugs 💊, such as prescription drugs, 🍃 marijuana, ❄️ cocaine, 🍄 psychedlics, or 🍬 edibles. Plus, the lightning symbol ⚡ or the battery symbol 🔋 can indicate a higher infusion rate for the drugs.

Emoji sets can be used to organise secret plans. 🏠 + 🚗 could mean meeting at home unsupervised, ⏰ + 🏫 usually means after-school activities, 🗺️ for location sharing, and ✈️ traveling to meet someone. The symbol 🚩 is used when emojis such as 🏨 are combined with strangers or adult characters.

A challenging task is to differentiate between harmful and harmless uses of emojis in kids’ chats. But TheOneSpy makes it easier, as TheOneSpy continues to check in to the kids’ devices and detects the inappropriate emoji pattern. Moreover, encourage them to see the emoji used in the recent conversation and the reason behind it. Below are the points that TheOneSpy specialises in to unhide the concealed emoji discussions:

TheOneSpy relies heavily on AI detection alerts. When the emojis are used in secret conversations, the TOS software continues analysing the talking patterns and the emojis sent. Helps to locate the hidden meaning behind the emoji storyline, which contains the meaning of sex, drugs, or mental abuse.

Real-time monitoring of emoji usage across all re-pinned apps, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and more. Emojis that convey double meaning or are inappropriate instantly alert parents to take appropriate action.

Parents can set custom filters in kids’ conversations, restrict access to harmful emoji patterns, and filter chats with frequent emoji use. Parents can enable a powerful algorithm to see which emojis are used in the conversation in real time, along with their context.

TheOneSpy, with its trackable, emotionless operation, ensures maximum safety. It tracks and records the most recent locations of emojis, providing accurate information and timestamps.

• Quickly identify the risky emoji routines before things get worse.
• Reveal the unknown concealed content where communication takes place in coded language.
• Reduce the risk of grooming and sexually assaulting by rechecking and analysing the emojis based on patterns.
• Mention the cyberbullying and peer pressure aspects arising from the use of emojis.
• Enable meaningful parent-teen relationships.
• Reduce stress and stop guessing with automated alert monitoring.
• Balanced approach, giving kids freedom while maintaining and educating them about the handling of online risks.

Emojis can be part of daily conversation, and there’s nothing wrong with using them; they look adorable and engaging at the same time. However, in the digital world, teens can use emojis for meaningful or sensitive conversations, taking them as coded signals to convey their messages. For parents who keep checking their kids’ screens, how can they see, from different angles, the real reason behind their kids’ emoji sharing?

Parents in this generation should be aware that the danger now lies in cell phones, not in real life. First, be aware, then understand the authentic context behind emoji patterns, and then take action, not with strict generality, but with open and honest conversation and TheOneSpy guidance. Parents can detect and address irrelevant emoji-sharing habits, ensure nothing seems out of range, and keep kids safe without intruding on their personal space or trust. With these commands, you understand the emoji-coded languages and can fully take over for protection and safety in the hustle of the digital world.