Teen gaming terms like NPC, AFK, Nerf, and Buff are forcing parents to search online to find out what their kids mean.
Researchers found that there are more than a million searches a year for NPC, that is, a non-playable character.
Another 926,232 searches are for AFK, that is, away from the keyboard, while 745,932 search for Griefing (to sabotage another player) and 689,928 for Grinder (to play constantly).
Buff, which means that a character’s abilities are improved, is sought by 494,292 parents and Nerf, when a player weakens another, by 388,416.
Another 635,376 need to look for Overpowered, when a player or character has too much strength and 574,836 need to look for Meta, the most effective tactics available.
Another 364,920 parents a year need to search for Tank, which describes a character who can absorb punishment, and another 348,768 search for DLC, that is, downloadable content.
Experts say that while the terms may seem strange, they create a sense of community for players (File Image)
Parents have been left baffled by some of the terms their children use (File image)
Researchers discovered that there are more than a million searches a year for NPC, that is, a non-playable character (File image)
Gaming experts CSDB.gg analyzed “what does this word mean” searches in 2022 and 2024 to reveal the findings.
Spokesman Cory Sims said: ‘Gaming is a social activity and as such has its own language.
‘Parents who feel like their children speak a different language when talking about games can use these terms as a way to connect and better understand their interests.
“While some terms may seem foreign outside of the gaming community, they create a shared understanding among gamers.”