Adolescence effect: 'Periodic table of sinister emojis' shows what they really mean

Schools in the United Kingdom are warning parents about emojis being used by children which appear to be innocent but actually hide sinister messages about sex, drugs, violence and extremism. The police and teachers have provided a "periodic table of sinister emojis" they say under-18s are using in the country which are actually dangerous, Daily Mail reported.

Notably, the Netflix show Adolescence shows school children using emojis to discuss topics like misogyny and radicalisation. In the show, 13-year-old Jamie Miller kills a female classmate. The use of emojis also comes up when DI Luke Bascome's son tells him the sinister meaning behind common emojis.

The "emoji code" sheet was produced by education charity For Working Parents. It shows 60 emojis, which do not look wrong to the common man. However, each of them is used for specific messaging about drugs, violence, sex, self-harm, extremism and incels.

Also Read: Fans can't believe that Adolescence makers hid this secret detail in episode 3

What emojis really mean among teenagers

The chart shows that a ghost emoji means anti-woman, while a devil emoji is used for lust. A dragon emoji represents heroin, a pill emoji is used to represent incel culture, or involuntary celibates, and a horse means ketamine.

A donut is used to represent anal sex, a corn means porn and tongue emoji is used for oral sex.

According to the report, schools across the South West, London, the Midlands, and the North of England are asking parents to be more vigilant about the digital lives of their children and have made them aware that the emojis are often used in a harmful manner. 

'Emojis are not as innocent'

Schools are telling parents to beware of what the children are doing on their phones and the language associated with the symbols, warning that "emojis are not always as innocent as they seem."

Amit Kalley, the founder of education charity For Working Parents, was quoted by the Telegraph as saying that both parents need to stay alert and updated about the digital things going on around them while "researching and asking the right questions" about everything their children are doing on their devices.

He told the publication, "Lots of young people are groomed online into drugs and violence, and lots of young people are involved in dangerous sexual behaviours, which they can hide from parents by using emojis and acronyms."

He says this is why he came up with this list, which is "far from exhaustive."

However, people are reacting to the initiative in different ways. While some say that the list of emojis helps parents know what the kids are talking about on online forums, others labelled it as "moral panic."