Goran Samardžić, professor of computer science and technical culture, an author who regularly comments on the development of new technologies and digital trends among young people on Radio Split, points to a worrying trend among children.
In today's digital world, communication among young people is increasingly taking place through messages, social networks and applications such as WhatsApp, Snapchat or Instagram. Instead of long sentences and words, young people often express themselves using emoticons – small pictorial symbols that were supposed to make it easier to express emotions and the tone of the message. However, over time, many emoticons among children and teenagers have acquired a completely new, often hidden meaning.
The hidden language of emoticons
Generation Alpha ushers us into a new era of communication that is heavily influenced by the digital world they are growing up in. To adults, a smiley face, heart, or fruit emoji may seem harmless, but among young people, especially adolescents, certain emojis have taken on meanings that are linked to sexual innuendo or suggest risky behaviors.
For example, fruit and vegetable emojis – such as eggplant🍆, cherry🍒 or peach🍑 – are used to denote male and female genitalia, depending on the person’s gender. The sweat drop💦 and pizza triangle🍕 emojis often have sexual connotations in digital jargon, and can also indicate excitement or allude to a sexual act.
One of the worrying examples is the 'side-eye' emoticon👀 which, in certain contexts among young people, can indicate the exchange of nude photos, or situations in which a child sends or receives inappropriate content.
In the digital world, symbols have also become symbols for drug use. For example, tree, leaf, or branch emojis are used to denote soft drugs like marijuana, while snowflakes, snowmen, or black balls with the number 8 are associated with harder drugs or cocaine.
Even the colors of the heart carry different meanings in the digital code of youth:
❤️ Red – love or a deeper emotional connection
💜 Purple – arousal or sexual attraction
💛 Yellow – I like you, I want to get to know you better
💗 Pink – I'm interested in you, but not in a sexual sense
🧡 Orange – an expression of support, 'you'll be fine'
The importance of understanding the digital language of young people
In order for adults to recognize potential dangers and risky behaviors, it is important to understand the digital language of young people. Parents do not need to know every phrase, emoticon, or online trend their child uses, but they should be aware of potential dangers, problematic expressions, and symbols that may indicate negative influences from the Internet.
The fact is that new generations are strongly influenced by the digital environment they grow up in. Their vocabulary is full of expressions and symbols that reflect their digital identity and everyday life online. We must not forget that these generations were born with technology – for them the internet is a natural environment, and digital communication is the foundation of social relationships.
That is why it is our task as adults not only to monitor what children do, but also to understand the way they communicate, because it is through these symbols and expressions that they express emotions, belonging, and personal identity.
Risks of hidden communication
This type of communication may seem harmless, but it hides serious risks. Children and young people are often unaware of the limits of privacy and the consequences of sharing content online. Exchanging messages with hidden meanings can lead to:
- risky online behaviors (sending intimate photos, sexting)
- exposure to peer pressure or blackmail
- contacting unknown persons
- creating misconceptions about sexuality and relationships.
In addition, this kind of coded language makes it difficult for parents and teachers to gain insight into the true nature of communication between children.
Goran Samardzic
What can parents do?
Parents have a key role in protecting children in the digital world. Instead of bans and monitoring, which often provoke resistance, it is more important to build trust and open communication.
Recommendations for parents:
1. Talk to your children about digital habits without judgment – ask questions out of curiosity, not control.
2. Take an interest in the emoticons they use – let your child show you how they communicate with their friends.
3. Explain the importance of privacy – that anything they send can become public, even if the message is deleted, a digital trace always remains.
4. Set limits on technology use – clearly agree on the time and conditions for using your cell phone.
5. Learn about digital symbols and trends together – show that you too understand the digital world, but that you are concerned about their safety.
6. Teach critical thinking - help them question online content, and ask them questions, not just rules.
Conclusion
Emoticons have become the new digital language of young people – colorful, fast and often mysterious to adults. However, behind the cute pictures sometimes hides a complex communication full of meaning that children do not fully understand, and adults often do not recognize. That is why it is important for parents, teachers and experts to be informed, understand the digital language of young people and develop a relationship of trust, because only in this way can we help children use the internet responsibly, safely and with an understanding of the consequences. It is crucial to talk to children about values and empathy, in order to prevent the negative impact of the digital world we live in.
Photo: Pexels, Private album
