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Emojis
What used to be <3 has become ♥️, and the once-popular :-( is now ☹️. Today's endless selection of ⚓️, ✌ and ✨ can sometimes leave us feeling a bit ⁉️.
In a world dominated by digital communication, emojis are far more than just colourful pictures. They have become an indispensable tool that has profoundly changed the way we interact. But are emojis really the modern hieroglyphics of our time?
The evolution of emojis ♾️
Before emojis conquered the digital world, emoticons were the tools of choice for expressing feelings in text messages. Emoticons are combinations of ASCII characters that represent simple facial expressions. A classic example you’ve likely seen, is :-) These basic yet effective symbols became popular in the 1980s and helped to make the emotional context of messages clearer.
Emojis were born in Japan in 1999, when Shigetaka Kurita, a designer at NTT DoCoMo, developed the first set of 176 emojis. Emojis were originally intended to improve communication on mobile devices. These cute faces with round eyes quickly went viral in Japan. Their global breakthrough came thanks to the standardisation of emojis via Unicode and their integration into operating systems like iOS and Android, as well as social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Today, emojis are an indispensable part of digital communication and have developed into a rich, ever-evolving cultural phenomenon.
The early importance of emojis and their development 〽️
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the rise of SMS and instant messaging, emojis offered a revolutionary way to express emotions and moods more accurately than plain text. They helped to reduce misunderstandings and enrich the emotional level of communication. Users were finally able to depict basic emotions such as joy, sadness and surprise with simple symbols.
Today, emojis are far more than just simple forms of emotional expression. They can now convey irony, sarcasm and other subtle nuances. For example, a seemingly innocent question ("Is that jumper new? ❤️❄️") can quickly shift from a compliment to a potential insult ("Is that jumper new? ☠️"). Emojis are no longer just used in family chats, but have made their way into emails and even business communication via social media and messenger apps. By summarising complex feelings and situations in a single symbol, emojis enhance the efficiency of communication, saving time and enabling quicker exchanges in our fast-paced digital world.
Perception and social impact ❤️
Emojis play a crucial role in conveying the emotional tone of a message. A simple smile or a sad face can make our mood clear and avoid misunderstandings. Emojis allow us to express empathy and create a personal connection, which strengthens the emotional bond between us and the person on the other end of the chat.
Indeed, studies show that people who use emojis in their private lives are perceived more positively because they project emotional warmth and sympathy – assuming they use positive emojis. Messages without emojis, on the other hand, appear more formal and less personal, with the sender being perceived as more assertive. This means our use of emojis can influence how others perceive our character traits. Interestingly, the absence of emojis can send its own message, particularly if someone usually uses them frequently. In such cases, a lack of emojis may indicate a bad mood or even signal an impending argument. ⚠️
Even in a professional setting, emojis can help create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, making collaboration easier. However, research shows that using emojis in professional contexts – especially during first contact – can sometimes create the impression of incompetence.
Cultural differences in the use of emojis ⛩️
Emojis have the potential to overcome language barriers by using universal symbols that are understood by people from diverse linguistic backgrounds. They offer an easy way to communicate basic emotions and reactions, even when language skills are limited.
However, emojis may be interpreted differently in different cultures, which can lead to misunderstandings. An emoji that is considered positive in one culture may be seen as negative or incomprehensible in another:
- In Western cultures, the emoji with joined palms often stands for ‘praying’, ‘thank you’ or even ‘high five’, while in Japan it represents an apology or request.
- While the faeces emojiin Western countries lightens up messages in which a mishap is reported, in Japan the symbol stands for happiness or prosperity.
- A grinning face with drops of sweatis interpreted in Western cultures as an expression of relief, while in Asian cultures it can represent embarrassment or nervousness.
However, misunderstandings can also arise closer to home. Research shows that emoji interpretation isn't just shaped by cultural differences – it's also influenced by factors like age and gender. For example, older people often struggle to assign the correct emotion to emojis, while women and younger people tend to interpret them more effortlessly.
Conclusion ✈️
Emojis are much more than little pictures in our messages. They represent a revolutionary step in digital communication, enabling us to express our feelings and thoughts with greater clarity and precision. From their origins in Japan to their global adoption, emojis have transformed the way we connect with one another, evolving into a dynamic, ever-evolving cultural phenomenon that enriches communication with emotional depth and nuance. They help us avoid misunderstandings, promote social bonding and make communication more interactive and appealing. Are you ready to celebrate the colourful world of emojis?
3️⃣, 2️⃣, 1️⃣ - let's go! ☘️
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References
- Aretz, W. (2019). Zeige mir Deine Emojis und ich sage Dir, wie Du bist: Die Nutzung und Wirkung von Emojis in der privaten Kommunikation. Journal Of Business And Media Psychology, 10, 37–42.
- Chen, Y., Yang, X., Howman, H. & Filik, R. (2024). Individual differences in emoji comprehension: Gender, age, and culture. PloS One, 19(2), e0297379. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297379
- Glikson, E., Cheshin, A. & Van Kleef, G. A. (2017). The Dark Side of a Smiley. Social Psychological & Personality Science, 9(5), 614–625. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617720269
