The modes and media of conversations are evolving over time. It has become a broad spectrum that involves textual, verbal, and non-verbal components. Emoticons is a new addition; let’s take a look at what it brings to the table.
Emoticons, or popularly called ‘emojis’ are certainly a new trend; they make conversations on texts easier, funnier, more meaningful and enjoyable. Their usage has become a norm and a significant one at that. Anyone barely completes a conversation without using emojis. Students from the University of Delhi (DU) also shared their feelings about them.
Shubhi Gupta, a student of Lady Sri Ram College, commented, “I have had conversations with my friends solely based on emojis, it helps convey a message properly, my message might sound rude, but adding a smiley face in the end makes all the difference in the world.” Similarly, Himanika Agarwal, another student of Gargi College, believes that using emojis has changed the way she texted; she said, “It takes less time and efforts and makes the conversation more interesting.”
Maumil Mehraj, a student of Maitreyi College, shared that emoticons honestly captured one’s emotions and many a times one emoji became just a symbol of politeness for them. She stated, “For me, the butterfly emoji is a favourite. I would use that when I don’t have anything else to say and by using it the conversation ends on a very polite note. And I have noticed it for many people, some use a flower, a rainbow or a branch. Every person has their own favourite.”
However, everyone is not in sync with this trend and many a times it leads to disastrous results. Using inappropriate emojis makes you seem arrogant or insensitive. One of my friends kept on using the yin-yang emoji that showcases depression and deep dissatisfaction for every instance. In another example, Gaurvi Rustogi from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies shared that, by mistake, during a serious conversation she sent a ‘laughing out loud’ emoji which made things inappropriate and awkward.
The nature of conversation and chatting is ever-evolving, people have now moved onto using popular GIFs and animated pictures to convey their feelings, be it sad or funny. Using these visual forms is making conversations healthier and refreshing. Maybe in a few years, just like the legendary words of Gina Linneti, “the English Language won’t be able to fully capture the depth and complexity of our thoughts and we will incorporate emojis to better express ourselves.” (Winky Face)
Feature Image Credits: Odyssey
Sakshi Arora
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