Madhouse Family Reviews: Legit Tekkers for Dub Rents - Club Penguin help parents decipher online kidspeak

We've all heard the story (or is it an urban legend?) of some poor unsuspecting texter putting "LOL" on the end of a text message of condolences after the death of a much-loved granny, thinking it meant "lots of love" rather than "laughing out loud", but how up to speed are you really with what your kids write in their online messages? I had a look through Club Penguin's Top 50 Digital Dictionary and didn't know half of them ! They do also have a more serious message behind the campaign about keeping kids safe online. It's all too easy for cyberbullying to kick off, as I told you here (and it was actually quite scary reading it back), so have a read and a chat with your kids.

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CRACKING THE CHILD DIGITAL CODE

Disney’s Club Penguin launches online safety campaign: It Starts With You

The leading virtual world for kids, Disney’s Club Penguin, today revealed the virtual vocabulary used by UK children that is leaving their mums and dads dumbfounded. ‘Dece', 'jank', 'noob' and 'tekkers' may sound like nonsense but to the first generation of ‘digital natives’ – young people who are more comfortable with the internet and technology than their parents - these are just some of the top 50 words most commonly used online that only a third of parents understood. The results are drawn from Club Penguin’s new study of 1,000 parents with children between the ages of 6 and 14, conducted to mark the launch of a pan-European campaign to teach kids and parents about online safety, It Starts With You.

This ‘digital native dictionary’ aims to help the two thirds of UK parents who admit that they don’t have a good grasp of the language their child uses with their peers online, and the almost seven in 10 mums and dads who are unable to identify whether commonly used words are positive or negative in meaning.

“Club Penguin was able to develop this list of words because our moderators have their fingers on the pulse of popular culture and one of their essential roles in keeping online interaction between children safe is to spot new or changed words that kids are using as a part of their online conversations. As a parent, I know

keeping up with my kids’ ever-evolving vocabulary can be a challenge and I hope our new dictionary will help parents speak ‘digital native’” stated Lucy Woodward, Interactive Live Services Director at Club Penguin.

The digital native dictionary is being made available to parents today as a part of Disney’s Club Penguin’s new online safety campaign, It Starts With You, which aims to empower kids to take the lead in spreading positive behaviour online and give their parents the tools to better support them. The campaign launches this week in the UK and encourages kids and parents to make the online world a better place. Families will be encouraged to learn the rules of the online road and spread the word about online safety. They will also be able to check out hints and tips to keep safe online at Club Penguin, as well as download educational activity sheets.

Working alongside Disney Club Penguin is Dr Claire Hardaker, Professor of Linguistics at Lancaster University. Dr Hardaker has translated famous verses including Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and another classic children's text, using evolving British Language. Dr Hardaker says: “Children have always been wonderful innovators that delight in creating new words – in the 60s and 70s, “hip”, “whizzo” and “fab”, in the 80s and 90s, “gnarly”, “phat” and “the bomb” – and with young people increasingly communicating online, soaking up dozens of new words, slang language is evolving at lightning speed, particularly words of praise or insult.

Go on, I know you're intrigued, so for your pleasure (or pain, if you're a lover of the bard !), here's the "social media" versions of some of Shakespeare's best loved scenes !

Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist 'Please, sir,' scene

Original version

"Please, sir, I want some more."

The master was a fat, healthy man; but he turned very pale. He gazed in stupefied astonishment on the small rebel for some seconds; and then clung for support to the copper. The assistants were paralyzed with wonder; the boys with fear.

"What!" said the master at length, in a faint voice.

"Please, sir," replied Oliver, "I want some more."

The master aimed a blow at Oliver's head with the ladle; pinioned him in his arms; and shrieked aloud for the beadle.

The board were sitting in solemn conclave, when Mr. Bumble rushed into the room in great excitement, and addressing the gentleman in the high chair, said, —

"Mr. Limbkins, I beg your pardon, sir! Oliver Twist has asked for more!"

Prose (blog) version

WorkhouseWaif (Oliver Twist) published a new blog-post entitled "Worst. Day. Ever."

OMG… crabbiest dy EVR. @dnr hd 2 ask th WkHs Mstr 4sum mr gruel. He's a fat dub jock & strd @me lyk I wz a n00b. Thn he sd "lolwhut?!" so I copypastad & he wnt totally outers, whackd me w/ th ladl, n scrmd 4 mr b. whn mr b hrd, he wnt str8 2th brd n wuz lyk, "omg, mr l, OT askd 4more!"

Social media version