Like many parents, I recently watched Adolescence on Netflix; not really sure what to expect turned into binge watching all four episodes back to back and it was one of those programmes that sparked conversation in our house on whether we really do enough as parents to keep our children safe both physically and mentally. We could probably all do more to understand how our children are communicating as the thing I found most interesting was the 'coded language' of using emojis which highlighted my personal ignorance of just thinking that a heart emoji is just a heart emoji...

In today’s digital world, teenagers are using emojis as a form of coded language on social media, texting apps, and online forums. While most emoji use is harmless, some symbols carry hidden meanings that parents should be aware of, especially when they relate to risky behaviours such as substance use or inappropriate online interactions.