Online Slang Explained for Parents and Professionals

A term associated with a mostly online subculture of people, who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, and who may blame, objectify and denigrate women and girls as a result.

Incel Ideology Explained

A collection of online communities focused on masculinity, relationships, and gender roles. Some spaces promote harmful stereotypes and hostility towards women.

Red Pill is a term used within some online communities to describe the belief that a person has “woken up” to what they see as hidden truths about society, gender, and relationships. The concept is commonly associated with the manosphere, a network of online groups focused on masculinity, dating, and gender roles.

Supporters of red pill ideology often argue that men are disadvantaged in modern society, that traditional gender roles are preferable, and that understanding these ideas can help men become more successful in relationships. Some content encourages men to adopt manipulative tactics to gain power, status, or sexual relationships.

While not all red pill content is extremist, some online communities promote misogynistic attitudes, hostility towards women, and harmful stereotypes about gender and relationships. The term is also used by some influencers, manosphere groups, and, in some cases, far-right communities.

An internet stereotype portraying a man as independent, self-reliant, and successful outside traditional social hierarchies. Sometimes linked to manosphere content.While many references to sigma males are intended as humour or self-improvement content, some narratives can promote unhealthy ideas about masculinity. These may encourage dominance, emotional suppression, self-isolation, or the belief that men should avoid vulnerability and seek control in relationships. In some cases, sigma male content overlaps with manosphere communities that promote harmful gender stereotypes and negative attitudes towards women.

Looksmaxxing is the practice of trying to improve physical appearance through grooming, fitness, cosmetic procedures, or extreme measures such as bone smashing to increase attractiveness.

Short for “communication groups”, these private online messaging groups often operate on platforms such as Telegram, Discord, Snapchat, or WhatsApp. While many are harmless, some can expose young people to harmful content, exploitation, misogyny, pornography, self-harm discussions, criminal activity, or other safeguarding risks.

Com Groups – What parents need to know

POV stands for “Point of View.” On platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, it is used to show content from a particular person’s perspective or experience. POV videos are often used for storytelling, humour, roleplay, education, or sharing personal experiences.

Examples include:

POV: Your friend ignores your messages.
POV: A teacher catches you using your phone in class.

Why Can POV Content Be a Safeguarding Risk?

Most POV content is harmless entertainment. However, some creators use the format to normalise or romanticise unhealthy situations, making potentially harmful messages appear relatable or attractive:

• Sexual content presented as normal experiences or relationships.
• Grooming behaviours disguised as romantic scenarios.
• Abusive or controlling relationships portrayed as desirable.
• Self-harm, eating disorders or risky behaviour being normalised.
• Misogynistic or extremist views presented through relatable characters.
• Misinformation that can influence attitudes, beliefs or behaviours.

Because POV content encourages viewers to imagine themselves in the situation, it can be more emotionally engaging and influential than traditional posts.

Finsta is short for “fake Instagram”. It refers to a secondary Instagram account, often used by young people to share content with a small group of trusted friends rather than a wider audience.

Unlike a person’s main account, a finsta may contain:

• More personal thoughts and feelings
• Unfiltered photos or videos
• Inside jokes between friends
• Content they do not want parents, teachers, or a wider audience to see

Having a finsta is not necessarily harmful. Many young people use them simply for privacy and self-expression. However, because these accounts are often less visible to parents and carers, they can sometimes be used to:

• Share risky or inappropriate content
• Engage in cyberbullying
• Discuss mental health concerns
• Communicate with people outside a young person’s usual friendship group
• Share images or information they would not post publicly

Catfishing is when someone creates a fake online identity to deceive others. While not all catfishing is malicious, it can be linked to grooming, exploitation, fraud, and other safeguarding concerns.  Catfishing may involve using fake names, stolen photographs, edited images, or misleading personal information to make someone believe they are communicating with a different person.

While some people catfish as a prank or to gain attention, it can also be used to:

• Groom children and young people
• Manipulate or exploit vulnerable individuals
• Obtain sexual images or personal information
• Commit financial fraud or scams
• Build trust before carrying out abuse or exploitation
• Harass, bully, or emotionally harm others

Young people may be particularly vulnerable if they believe they are communicating with someone of a similar age who is actually an adult.

Signs that someone may be catfishing include:

• Refusing to video call or meet in person
• Providing inconsistent information about themselves
• Using images that appear professional or heavily edited
• Quickly developing intense emotional relationships online
• Asking for money, gifts, personal information, or intimate images
• Encouraging young people to think critically about online relationships and to speak to a trusted adult if something feels wrong can help reduce risks.

Ghosting is when someone abruptly ends communication without explanation. While common in online interactions, it can negatively affect a young person’s wellbeing and may sometimes be linked to unhealthy relationship dynamics.

Ghosting can sometimes:

• Cause distress, anxiety, or confusion, particularly for young people.
• Affect self-esteem and confidence.
• Be used as a form of emotional manipulation or control.
• Occur as part of unhealthy or abusive relationships.
• Leave young people vulnerable if they seek support from unsafe online sources.

For some young people, repeated experiences of rejection or exclusion online can have a significant impact on their emotional wellbeing.

A social media term used when a reply, comment, or response receives more engagement than the original post, often indicating widespread disagreement or criticism.

Being “ratioed” is often seen as a sign that others disagree with, criticise, or mock the original content.

Example:
“That post got ratioed.”

This means the responses to the post were more popular than the original post itself.

Understanding terms like ratio can help parents and professionals recognise when young people may be experiencing online criticism, embarrassment, cyberbullying, or social pressure. Being publicly “ratioed” can have a negative impact on confidence and wellbeing.