Kids are using emojis to hide illicit conversations, warns expert: ‘Snowflake for drugs, ghost for misogyny’ | Trending

Children and teenagers are using seemingly innocent emojis to secretly communicate about drugs, violence, and explicit content, sparking concerns among parents. Amit Kalley, the founder of For Working Parents, is warning families to stay vigilant, as these symbols can hide risky conversations that go unnoticed. Expert posted a periodic table of the “siner” meanings behind seemingly innocent emojis.(Instagram/@forworkingparents) “The unregulated internet can be very dangerous for our children,” Kalley cautioned in an Instagram post. “This issue is too big to ignore, and the Netflix series, ‘Adolescence,’ has brought it to mainstream attention.” The popular show, which premiered earlier this month, follows the story of a teenage boy who secretly uses emojis before being arrested for the murder of a female classmate. Periodic table of emojisKalley’s viral “periodic table of emojis” deciphers these coded messages, revealing that emojis can be used to discreetly reference drugs, violence, and explicit activities. For example, a snowflake, 8-ball, or snowman can symbolise cocaine, while a tree, leaf, or branch may indicate marijuana. MDMA is represented the bill emoji, ketamine a horse, and magic mushrooms a red mushroom icon. Emojis are also used to signal explicit content. “Lust” is symbolized the flame, sweating, or devil emoji, while “oral sex” is represented a brain or tongue. Different emojis can indicate genitalia, such as eggplants, hot dogs, cherries, and peaches, while the doughnut emoji can suggest anal sex. Also read: 66-year-old woman gives birth to her 10th child, 45 years after her first: ‘Never used contraception’ According to the post, certain symbols also hold more siner meanings. The gun and knife emojis reference weapons, while the smiley face with X’s over the eyes signifies death or murder. Other emojis, such as the apple, bean, bill, or “100,” are linked to the incel community. Neo-Nazi ideology is represented the hedgehog, lightning bolt, or the numbers “1488,” while misogyny can be symbolised the ghost, goblin, or monster emoji. Kalley’s warning has gained traction, with schools and law enforcement agencies in the UK adopting his emoji table. “The table I created is far from an exhaustive l, but I wanted to include emojis beyond incel and misogyny,” he told The Telegraph. “Lots of young people are groomed online into drugs and violence, and many are involved in dangerous sexual behaviours, which they can hide from parents using emojis and acronyms.” Also read: Bengaluru commuter criticises Namma Metro fare hike, claims driving saves time and money He emphasised the importance of ongoing awareness: “Emojis and acronyms change, so parents have to keep researching and keep asking the right questions. We need to normalise conversations about the online world with our children.”