not safe for work

{{Short description|Internet slang term}}

{{Unreliable sources|date=April 2023}}

{{About|the Internet slang|the 2014 film|Not Safe for Work (film){{!}}Not Safe for Work (film)|the 2015 television series|Not Safe for Work (TV series){{!}}Not Safe for Work (TV series)}}

{{Redirect|NSFW||NSFW (disambiguation)}}

{{Redirect|Safe for work|work safety|Occupational safety and health}}

Not safe for work, also called not suitable for work (NSFW), is Internet slang or shorthand used to mark links to content, videos, or website pages the viewer may not wish to be seen viewing in a public, formal, or controlled environment.{{cite book |last1=Paasonen |first1=Susanna |last2=Jarrett |first2=Kylie |last3=Light |first3=Ben |title=NSFW: Sex, Humor, and Risk in Social Media |date=2019 |publisher=The MIT Press |location=Cambridge |isbn=9780262355230}}{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Jessica |date=2017-08-09 |title=A Brief History of 'NSFW' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nsfw-brief-history/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=VICE |language=en-US}} The marked content may contain graphic violence, pornography, profanity, nudity, slurs, or other potentially disturbing subject matter. Environments that may be problematic include workplaces, schools, and family settings.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lifewire.com/what-does-nsfw-mean-2483431|title=The Meaning of NSFW and How to Use It|work=Lifewire|access-date=2018-10-21|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021234703/https://www.lifewire.com/what-does-nsfw-mean-2483431|archive-date=2018-10-21|url-status=unfit}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/nsfw-meaning/|title=NSFW Meaning. What does NSFW mean?|date=2017-12-29|work=MyEnglishTeacher.eu Blog|access-date=2018-10-21|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232320/https://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/nsfw-meaning/|archive-date=2018-10-21|url-status=usurped}} NSFW has particular relevance for people trying to make personal use of the Internet at workplaces or schools that have policies prohibiting access to sexual and graphic subject matter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/08/looking-at-nsfw-content-job-work/|title=How Not To Get Caught Looking at NSFW Content on the Job|website=Complex|language=en|access-date=2018-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181021232633/https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/08/looking-at-nsfw-content-job-work/|archive-date=2018-10-21|url-status=live}} Conversely, safe for work (SFW) is used for links that do not contain such material,[https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/sfw.htm What is SFW (Safe for Work)] from Computer Hope especially where the title might otherwise lead people to think that the content is NSFW.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-19|title=Check out this Reddit thread dedicated to the hottest sex stories|url=https://happymag.tv/sex-stories/|access-date=2021-01-19|website=Happy Mag|language=en-US}}

{{Anchor|Not safe for life|NSFL}}The similar expression not safe for life (NSFL) is also used,{{cite news|url=https://mindanaotimes.com.ph/how-to-watch-nsfw-nsfl-content-safely-and-discreetly/|title=How to watch NSFW/NSFL content safely and discreetly|work=Mindanao Times|date=February 14, 2024|access-date=November 16, 2024}}{{cite magazine|last1=Pullen|first1=John Patrick|last2=Citizen|first2=Jessica|date=June 17, 2016|orig-date=May 3, 2012|url=https://time.com/4373616/text-abbreviations-acronyms/|title=116 Teen Text Terms Decoded for Confused Parents|magazine=Time|access-date=November 16, 2024}}{{cite news|last=Martinez|first=Fidel|date=June 1, 2021|url=https://www.dailydot.com/irl/what-is-reddit-50-50-wtf-funny/|title=The shock and aww of Reddit's 50/50|work=The Daily Dot|access-date=November 16, 2024}} referring to content which is so nauseating or disturbing that it might be emotionally scarring to view. Links marked NSFL may contain fetish pornography, gore, or murder.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/what-do-all-these-acronyms-mean|title=Reddit Basics|website=reddit.zendesk.com|access-date=17 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210125102/https://www.reddithelp.com/en/categories/reddit-101/reddit-basics/what-do-all-these-acronyms-mean|archive-date=10 December 2019|url-status=live}}

Some websites, such as Reddit, give users the option to designate their content as NSFW, in order to warn others of its explicit nature before they access it.{{Cite web |title=Reddiquette |url=https://reddit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=Reddit Help |language=en-US}}