The ubiquitous smartphone, network accessibility and immediate feedback have accelerated the adoption of social media. We scroll our screens for social interactions, hit a thumb up or a red heart or folded hands. These colourful digital icons have become the universal language in the cyber world. They not only add fun to our messages, but also convey complex emotions succinctly, breaking the language barrier. A hieroglyphic incarnate, they add a subtle nuance that might be lost in the terse text.
The word ‘emoji’ was included in the Oxford Dictionary in 2013. It is a digital pictograph used to express emotion, concept and tone. From the original select, the Unicode Consortium has continually worked to make emojis more inclusive. Recent additions include emojis representing some disabilities, various skin tones and gender-neutral options, reflecting a broader spectrum of human diversity. Unicode actually creates the computer code that gives us emojis, but Emojipedia is where you can learn exactly what each means and how to use them.
Emojis provide visual context that can aid in comprehension and make text more engaging. At their finest, emojis can convey an entire sentence or a set of emotions with one character. In the physical world, when we circulate a notice, it is marked as seen. A thumb up is akin to that in the digital sphere. At their worst, emojis can convey a set of meaning far from, and potentially even the opposite of their intended meaning. For the older generation, it might mean derogatory, thenga dikhana! Not so long ago, one would offer a ‘red heart’ to a beloved only, but now it is more inclusive, limitless, boundless love, for all and sundry.
World Emoji Day, 17th July, promotes awareness about the history, development and creative use of emojis in everyday life and highlights the cultural, social and technological importance of these small digital icons across the globe. They not only symbolise nonverbal cues that are used during face-to-face communication, but also play a pivotal role in the socially driven web world. They mimic negative, positive and neutral facial expressions. An angry face or a raised eyebrow would intensify negativity. A smiling face or a three-heart face can reinforce a positive message.
Before jumping on the bandwagon, it is crucial to tailor your emoji usage to your reader’s taste and expectations. Using emojis that do not align with your content can create confusion and diminish the effectiveness of your communication. While emojis can be a fun and engaging addition to your social media content, using too many emojis can make your message appear cluttered and unprofessional, akin to verbosity. A judicious sprinkling of emojis would make your message lucid and eloquent.
In the virtual communication world, emojis add a humane touch. From their origin in Japan to becoming a universal language of expression, emojis have invaded online interaction, personal as well as formal. Let us embrace emojis as powerful vehicles of the swiftly changing world of expression and communication. I love emojis. Let us celebrate emojis.
Suruchi Kalra Choudhary
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