It is not a code to take lightly, it is serious and even announces the worst.
When you are a parent, you often ignore what is hidden behind conversations between teenagers. It must be said that with the advent of social networks, everything goes faster. The messages are ephemeral and the exchanges multiply at a crazy speed. In a few seconds, a simple word can take a turn that is not even suspected. Take for example the term “red flag”. At first glance, any parent would think of the equivalent of “red flag” in English. But in some conversations, this term has a much more subtle meaning: it designates a problem of problematic character in a person, a sign of alert. And this is just one example among so many others. An emoji or hashtag can also mean something darker, such as an invitation to put yourself in danger or a call for help.
This is the case of a particular code that some young people have used on social networks for some time, especially on Tiktok, under English -speaking publications or even in private message. It is the term “kys” or “keys”. These three or four letters, which may seem harmless, are actually a sign of cyberbullying. Indeed, as reported by the Gabb site guide on the language of adolescents, quoted by our colleagues from Huffingtonpost, the word “kys” or “keys” is the acronym of “Kill Yourself “which means “put an end to your life”.
Like an order ultimately. The school psychologist, Izzy Kalman, pioneer of the approach of resilience in the face of intimidation, which often intervenes in the American media has declared under Bestrong that “Young people who commit suicide are one of the most common themes of reports on harassment” and that “In many of these cases, the children ended their days shortly after other young people told them to do so.”
If you notice comments containing “Kys” on your child’s social networks, it is important to act quickly. At first, try to have a discussion with him, without judgment, to understand where these messages come from and which could be at the origin of this form of pressure or harassment. Let him indulge without insisting. If he does not dare to confide, you can deactivate the comments on his account, even if it means disconnecting him from his accounts for a while. There is also the solution to make a report on social networks or to the police. Anyway, it is important not to take this kind of message lightly according to the experts.
