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As a millennial or Gen Z parent, how familiar are you with your kids’ everyday internet slang? Does it include WBU? For many parents, it could be another internet slang that goes viral among kids and causes risky behavior in children.
However, according to a lecturer at Brunel University London, “There’s no incorrect or correct way of using language,” unless the kids use it in a bad context.
So, to learn whether WBU slang is harmful or used in a bad context, you must first read this blog. Here, I’ve listed everything you need to know about WBU to ensure your child’s safety. So, let’s get down to it!
Quick Answer:
WBU means, What about you? It is used as a polite response to ask someone’s opinion in an online conversation. It is casual internet slang used in online discussions, so the parents don’t need to worry.
WBU stands for What About You? (where You is shortened to U). It is also an acronym for How About You? It is used in online discussions, forums, and especially text messaging.
WBU is typically asked in response to How are you? And What are you doing? or to ask for someone’s opinion on an ongoing topic. This slang is also used to break the ice and learn about a person’s experiences, pastimes, and other interests.
Using this phrase in a conversation shows that you are interested in continuing the conversation and hearing other people’s opinions.
Many people think the right abbreviation for what about you should be WAU. However, in slang language, the ‘about’ is shortened to ‘bout’, which becomes ‘what bout you’ and gives rise to the viral internet slang WBU.
With the abundance of acronyms going viral in the current generation, it’s difficult to grasp the roots of the word WBU.
The alternative meaning to WBU is HBU, which means How about you? These two terms are pretty similar and, hence, are used interchangeably to request someone’s point of view.
However, HBU is often used in informal contexts or casual conversations. For example, Hey, I was thinking of visiting my grandma’s this summer. HBU, do you have any plans?
Another alternative meaning for the slang is WBY, which has the same definition: What about you? As ‘you’ is often shortened to ‘U’, you might find people using WBU as WBY in informal conversations.
For example, I thought we had classes today, but they got canceled suddenly. WBU?
Kids use this internet slang as a polite response and show mutual interest in discussion with a new acquaintance. In real-text conversations, this term is used in lowercase, as ‘wbu’.
Here are some examples of how your kids might be using WBU:
Although WBU is a common slang used by people of all ages, backgrounds, and demographics, the younger generation (Gen Alpha and Gen Z kids) is undoubtedly the prime user.
They commonly use it in informal day-to-day conversations and various media platforms, such as social media, instant messaging, email, and text messages.
Here’s a list of people who mainly use WBU in text conversations:
WBU is an everyday internet language that kids use for casual conversations and chit-chat with peers and acquaintances. So, the parents can rest assured.
However, if you are afraid your kid might be subjected to potential dangers online, I recommend you follow the safety tips listed below:
WBU is just an internet lingo that teens use to ask for someone’s opinion, and there’s nothing wrong with it.
However, as a responsible parent, what you need to do as a parent is ensure supervision of your child’s activities and stay updated with the text abbreviations used by teens.
WBU means what about you? It is used to request someone’s opinion or proposal on a related topic.
No, WBU is not a bad word, as it’s only everyday internet slang that kids use to show their mutual interest in ongoing discussions.
In texting, WBU stands for what about you.
WBU or what about you is used when the ongoing topic or expected answer is broader, and HBU, or how about you when the answer is more specific.
Kids use WBU to answer greetings or as icebreakers to continue the ongoing discussions.
