What Does IG Mean?

These days, it seems like teen slang is everywhere, both on the internet and off. And because of the nature of our fast-paced and expansive digital world, kids are coming up with slang terms faster than we can keep up.

Even if we do manage to decode one term, another one takes its place just as quickly. 

In this vein, you may have seen or heard the acronym “IG,” but what does it mean?

Let’s talk about it!

Teen Slang

There are actually a couple of meanings for “IG.” In perhaps the more well-known meaning of the acronym, IG stands for “Instagram,” referring to the social media platform Instagram.

Another, perhaps more novel meaning of IG is “I guess.” Determining the meaning of the shorthand depends entirely on context. “I guess” in shorthand is usually used in text messages.

The Implications Behind “IG”

The use of “IG” instead of “I guess” means, on the surface level, the same thing in shorthand as the entire phrase, which is simply to estimate or suppose. But teenagers have done what teenagers do with this term and inserted a bit of attitude behind the “IG.” 

Nowadays, “IG” can be a somewhat passive aggressive response sent by eye-rolling teens whose aim is to express moderate or ironic certainty. 

Your child might use the term to express hesitation or dismay toward doing a certain task, while still agreeing to it nevertheless.

Here’s an example of “IG” in action:

Using Teen Slang to Open up Conversations

As you can see from the above examples, the usage of slang can actually tell us a lot about what our children may be feeling. Even in using slang, our children let us in by sending subtle messages like disappointment and hesitation. 

This is an important indication that children are putting themselves in a vulnerable position in an attempt to receive some level of comfort or acknowledgment from their parent. 

Perhaps we can use this opportunity to open up a conversation. When our children say something like, “it’s ok, ig,” we can take the next in-person opportunity to probe into how our children are feeling.

We can help them articulate their emotions through gentle conversation. We must approach these conversations with patience and empathy. 

Navigating Slang

With every new slang term, we may feel like we’re playing catch up. As embarrassing as it may be to have to beg for definitions of slang terms from our kids, there will inevitably be an opportunity for conversation. 

These conversations may be as short as a couple minutes, or as long as a lifetime, depending on the depth. 

Regardless, our children see our efforts to connect with and understand them, and those efforts will pay off. 

Keeping an eye on slang terms

It can’t hurt to know which terms our children are using with their friends. Gabb phones allow you to monitor your child’s text messages and open up conversations on what they may be saying to their friends and peers.

Text monitoring is a delicate facet of parenting in the digital world, so be sure that your conversations nurture safety and respect. 

What new slang term is your child using this week? How do you deal with their new terms? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments!