People have been using picture characters for quite some time now, from emoticons’ origins to the animated emojis we use today. There hasn’t been much competition regarding how they are portrayed, but the Unicode Standard doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon in adding new ones.
With the turn of the century, many inventions have helped shape how our society understands telecommunication. The standard approach of talking to someone directly with our voice seems outdated these days. We look at how emojis have begun to deviate from the norm and its effects on everyday human interaction.
History, Usage, And Popular Culture
The first set of images created were around less than 200, consisting of non-circular characters such as stick figures and road signs. The more fictional ones like the unicorn emoji, various animal and land characters were added much later when people weren’t as skeptical as they used to be. Japan hit the ball out of the park with this invention, and a huge credit needs to be given to the engineers that tirelessly work towards these innovations.
Today, emojis have become the fastest growing language in the world. Since being added to the Unicode in 2010, different cell phone manufacturers have officially adopted them into their operating systems. Other companies have different interpretations of certain emojis, but the primary selection has always stayed the same.
Most people who have at least one smartphone have probably encountered emojis once or twice during their usage. They can range from casual to hardcore users, and some can even create whole messages with just emojis. It is truly a technological marvel when you compare how communication and digital speech has evolved over a few decades.
Brands And Design Differences
One of the most used emojis is the “laughing while crying” character. This has both positive and negative implications, as there can be different interpretations depending on who is reading it. The psychological aspect of perceiving a digital speech is vastly different from something that is said upfront and personal.
Big companies like Apple and Samsung have their company-specific designs for the standard emojis and their own creations being added regularly. However, this can lead to numerous discrepancies across smartphones because of a slight change in how visually represented something can be the difference in a conversation turning sour or ripe.
The fact remains that standard text is still the best way to get our thoughts and feelings across the internet to the other end of the conversation. Still, emojis can make a wordy message just a tad bit shorter and easier to read with careful placement and consideration.
Most millennials today are avid users of emojis and how they are utilized in different facets of human interaction is quite remarkable. Advertisements have begun to use cute emojis in their logos, and even some commercials are starting to follow suit. Whether you join the fray or not, technology will continue to evolve and move forward.
Hopefully, in the next few years, the difference in visual representation between iOS and Android devices can be fixed by their respective companies. Ultimately, users can expect a more streamlined and uniform way of utilizing these cute little characters when that happens.
The Future Of Digital Literacy
Limitations in the past would have made it impossible, and it would take quite a lot of resources to make these images, but now, almost anyone can make them and call it professional work. The opportunities that our generation has presented itself are numerous and significant because human intelligence has become more realistic in its creations.
Emojis have opened up a different communication world that was never thought possible before during the Mechanical Age. As society plunges more in-depth into the Electronic Age, the digital transmission of gestures, body language, and even tone of voice is made possible exclusively by emojis for many things.
It is exhilarating to think about the prospect of language being seen as a measure for intellectual dominance but more like a crutch to help get ideas across. Emojis are indeed a new phenomenon that we are only beginning to understand fully. Still, as the Unicode Standard continues to outnumber itself every year, we might finally see notable changes in the near future.
Final ThoughtsÂ
Considering everything discussed, emojis’s parallax effect and how it is perceived throughout cultures, differences, and even tradition. It is highly likely that you’ll be assured knowing that there is no one-trick-approach in taking advantage of these units of digital speech. Careful attention to detail and precaution, however, is always welcome.
Different societal issues like racism, sexism, and even religious conflict will always exist until the foreseeable future. With knowledge frequently handed down on a digital platter for average individuals to consume, throwing in an emoji or two won’t hurt anyone.