Smileys, Hearts, Sad Eyes And The Rise Of A New Digital Language
Smileys, hearts, sad eyes and the rise of a new digital language
In a world where more people work from home and attend events via Zoom, the majority of the day is likely spent staring at a screen. How could we possibly not? It is how we overcome geographical barriers and protect ourselves against a deadly pandemic.
According to a South African study conducted by Alex Emilio Fischer, Tanya Van Tonder, and other researchers, 83 percent of 405 respondents interviewed have increased their work and communication with technology since COVID-19 became a global pandemic.
However, conversing with someone in person is quite different from conversing via a 6.5" device. When communicating in person, what you do not say is more significant than what you do say.
Facial expressions and body language communicate more than you can imagine. Lydia Ramsey, a professional speaker and author, asserts that "the most obvious way to communicate is through eye contact." When you look at another person, you demonstrate interest.”
Ramsey asserts that research indicates that words account for only 7% of human communication, while body language and tone account for 55% and 38%, respectively.
Regrettably, the primary way we communicate nowadays does not incorporate body language. It is left behind computer screens and beneath our typing thumbs to collect dust.
Melanie Chan, Senior Lecturer in Media, Communication, and Culture at Leeds Beckett University, believes that technology has diminished the importance of face-to-face communication.
Interestingly, we not only communicate with our devices, but also with them. Smartphone assistants have advanced to the point where I occasionally ask Google Assistant to tell me jokes when I'm bored.
While technology has stifled physical communication, it has also enabled us to maintain contact in situations where face-to-face contact is impossible. And, thanks to a Japanese invention known as emojis, we may be able to retain some aspects of normal communication.
Emojis: the language of the digital world
When we use the emoji section of our keyboard, we most likely want to convey emotion quickly, or when words are insufficient to express our feelings.
Emojis made their debut on Japanese mobile phones in the late 1990s. They have since developed into a universal digital language. Oxford Dictionaries designated an emoji as the Word of the Year in 2015.
Emojis' popularity in Japan prompted Google and Apple to have them registered with the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit organization that oversees computer text standards.
As with the English language, more emojis are being added to the "emoji vocabulary" in order to convey a broader range of emotions.
Emojis, too, have their own day. Bizarre? World Emoji Day, it appears, is a big deal.
The day was created by Jeremy Burge, founder of Emojipedia — a wiki dedicated to emojis — and consists of two main activities: awards are presented to the most popular emojis, and new ones are announced.
World Emoji Day is observed on July 17 due to the fact that Apple's iOS calendar emoji shares the same date. Not to worry, if you're an Android user, you'll see the same thing on your Google keyboard.
While emojis are a ubiquitous mode of digital communication, they are still perceived differently by individuals.
How do users feel about emojis?
“When we take words at face value, we can miss out on nuances of humour, seriousness, and even sarcasm.” This is what Folakemi Olaniyan, a final-year English and Literary Studies student, said when I inquired about the importance of emojis.
Emojis, she believes, assist in defining the mood and tone of written text. “I don't believe I can communicate without using emojis,” she says.
Despite her desire, Olaniyan does not use emojis in a formal setting. She says she prefers texting to having a physical conversation because it prevents her from stuttering in real life.
By contrast, journalist Kunle Agbetiloye prefers physical interactions to any form of digital exchange. However, he, like Olaniyan, believes that emojis add meaning to words.
“There are some statements that require an emoji to convey the emotion associated with them,” he explains.
Agbetiloye, on the other hand, maintains that emojis are only necessary for casual conversations. “If I'm angry, I won't send you angry emojis due to their cartoonish appearance.”
To verify his assertion, I sent him an angry face emoji during a lull in the conversation. As is his wont, he dismissed it.
My conversation with another journalist, Daniel Whyte, was replete with emojis. I could deduce how critical emojis were based on how the conversation progressed.
Emojis, according to Whyte, assist in conveying a message more quickly. “I use it to quickly communicate simple messages,” he explains. It saves time and is simple to use.” He concludes this sentence with a smiling face emoji, evoking the casual manner in which the words would have flowed from his mouth during a physical conversation.
As with Olaniyan and Agbetiloye, Whyte believes that emojis should be reserved for informal conversations and not included in official emails.
Universal but personal
Vyvyan Evans, professor of linguistics and author of The Emoji Code: The Linguistics Behind Smiley Faces and Scaredy Cats, describes emojis as "indisputably the world's first truly universal mode of communication."
However, because emojis are used by people from diverse cultures and personalities, their meaning varies according to who uses them. Emoji translators were created as a result.
Generally, the thumbs-up emoji signifies approval or commendation, but in Greek culture, it is considered an offensive gesture.
Interestingly, to the Chinese, the smiling face emoji represents dismissiveness rather than happiness.
Ranti Omoloso, a recent university graduate, says he struggles to communicate with senior citizens because they frequently misunderstand emojis.
“I try to avoid chatting with parents because they appear to have a very different understanding of emojis. Because I dislike typing lengthy sentences, I simply place a call,” he explains.
Keith Broni, who earns a living translating emojis, describes them as "linguistic tools used to augment our language."
Although Broni believes emojis are not a form of communication in and of themselves, he acknowledges their critical role in digital communication.
An expert's perspective
According to Dr Oluwakemi Omole, Assistant Director, Counselling and Human Development Center, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, communication is simply an exchange of information, regardless of the medium used.
She emphasizes the value of communication by stating that it improves our psychology and sense of self. “It is critical to our human psyche.”
Additionally, she admits that while physical contact is pleasurable, it is presence — whether online or in person — that matters most. “It is possible to be physically present with someone and not communicate with them. It's about communication and the capacity to listen.”
As a psychologist, Omole notes that considerable research has been conducted on the efficacy of emojis and their ability to convey emotions that are difficult to express in words. She concludes, "emoji is a method of bridging the divide." It is a way of communicating to others what you wish to convey to them.”
In response to the question of whether emojis are a universal language, Omole argues that they are not. “While we all have the same feelings, the way we express them varies by culture.”
This year's World Emoji Day has been scheduled to coincide with the release of emoji 14.0. A new set of emojis that take race and gender into account. With the emoji vocabulary being updated on a regular basis, could they develop into their own language?
