🚨 Parents: What Does “Gooning” Mean? Summer Sips & Tips on Digital Slang


Hello Reader,

Kids’ slang can sound silly—but sometimes it points to something serious.

🍹Summer Sip:
​
You may hear kids or teens using the slang term “gooning.” Online, it commonly refers to excessive consumption of sexual content paired with compulsive masturbation.

Offline, kids may use the word casually, jokingly, or even as a sexual insult—often without fully understanding what it means.

Because slang spreads quickly, especially through memes, chats, gaming spaces, and social media, children may repeat a term long before they understand the behavior or context behind it.

✅ Summer Tip:
​
If you hear the word, don’t panic or shame your child. Treat it as a conversation cue. Try saying:

“I heard the word [slang term] recently, and I’m wondering what kids think it means. Have you heard anyone use it?

“Sometimes kids repeat slang because it sounds funny, but they may not know what it really means. It’s important to understand a word before you use it, because some words can hurt people—or make others think you mean something you don’t. I’d like to help you understand slang terms, so come to me and ask and we’ll figure it out together.”

This gives your child a safe opening to talk, ask questions, or admit confusion.

Slang doesn’t have to become a secret when parents stay calm, curious, and connected.

You CAN DO this—one small conversation at a time.

Warmly,
​
Kristen

P.S. Exciting news! My interview with the Lila Rose Show is officially live. We discuss issues impacting today's families and shared practical insights for parents. If you haven't listened yet, you can watch it below:
​

video preview​

The Good Pictures Bad Pictures books are excellent resources for helping parents start age-appropriate conversations with their children about pornography. Having these important discussions early can help protect children from confusion, shame, and future trauma while building trust and open communication.

Defend Young Minds

Read more from Defend Young Minds

Hello Reader, I set up Google Alerts for “AI Porn” and “CSAM” (Child Sexual Abuse Material), and I’d like to share what I learned with you. First, the frequency was pretty much everyday on these alerts. That’s definitely increased over the past several years. Because I wanted to better understand what’s happening at the intersection of AI, pornography, and child exploitation. I started tracking these topics to see what stories and warnings were making headlines. What I found reinforced that...

Hello Reader, When unexpected content shows up, how do we talk about it with our kids? A recent sports ad featuring Sydney Sweeney for the platform Novig has sparked lots of concerned reactions about what children are exposed to while watching sports. Dodgers outfielder Alex Call also spoke out about these ads after watching a baseball game with his young son. On X, he said: "Can we please get the soft porn ads off playoff broadcasts, TBS, Fox, NBC, and MLB? My son wants to watch baseball...

Hello Reader, The scariest digital dangers aren't always the ones you can see. From disappearing messages to secret accounts and gaming chats, children have more ways to communicate online than ever before. While many interactions are harmless, some can expose children to cyberbullying, online predators, scams, and inappropriate content. Here's what parents should watch for, and how to help keep kids safer when they're online. 🫥 1. Disappearing Messages & Secret Accounts Some apps allow...