We Hate U :)

A look at the pragmatic functions that emoji serve

An emoji is a digital icon that expresses emotions and ideas in electronic communication. In a world where a high percentage of communication is performed through technology, emoji have become a “safety blanket” for digital text messages that might be taken out of context or misinterpreted. Simply by inserting a happy face, a message receiver understands that, “I hate you :)” is to be interpreted as a joke. The survey that our group presented around our college campus suggested certain patterns among 18–35 years olds when it came to emoji usage, placement, and environments in which emoji are considered appropriate. We questioned whether or not emoji were becoming a language of their own, or if they remain as an embellishment, offering meaning to sentences that could be misconstrued.

Most of the participants our group surveyed agreed that, in most instances, emoji are inserted at the end of sentences. This helps a reader attach an emotion onto a message that has the potential of being misunderstood. Though, when asked if they thought an emoji could be considered a form of punctuation, almost every participant answered no. Most people agreed that emoji are used at the end of a sentence, but don’t think they have fixed rules and guidelines, like question marks or exclamation points do. Both punctuation marks and emoji are symbols that provide clarity and understanding to a language, so it could be that emoji are slowly adopting certain terms of use, just like forms of punctuation do.

Besides examining the pragmatic function that emoji serve, we also surveyed participants’ attitudes towards the usage of emoji. The majority of the sample population consisted of millennials. Of the responses, 91.7% of participants responded that they do not use emoji in a formal setting (work-related emails, emails to professors). These participants responded with reasons that fit within the following three categories: it is not professional/unprofessional: 67.05%, it is not proper/informal: 20%, or it is not appropriate/inappropriate: 12.95%. Participants also described the use of emoji in a formal setting as “juvenile,” “childish,” “child-like,” “filthy casual,” and “a playful form of communication.”

Interestingly, 71.7% of participants responded that they think women use emoji more often; meanwhile, only 1.9% of participants think men use emoji more. These findings reveal attitudes of inferiority towards the usage of emoji within a formal setting. These same respondents also appear to associate the usage of emoji with women; surprisingly, 61% of those respondents were females. Ultimately, lurking under these findings it appears that there is a sense of linguistic self-loathing towards emoji use. There seems to be a continuing long narrative of younger people and women viewing themselves as less professional due to the use of emoji.

While many people view emoji as mindless virtual stickers used only to accessorize and customize text, there is no denying the evolution currently taking place in regards to emoji and language. An emoji may represent a specific meaning through appearance, however, it can also suggest a different context — one completely irrelevant to the original meaning. When presented the peach emoji, our applicants were asked what meaning first came to mind. Instead of stating what the emoji obviously represented, the actual fruit, a majority of them said that the peach emoji stands for “ass,” or “juicy.” When given the fire emoji, most of the survey takers said that the image represented something or someone being “hot” or “lit.” This might not a coincidence. There is a reason why the applicants, mostly made up of college students, are able to all identify one specific emoji with an alternative definition. 
 
These emoji, used regularly in every day communication between people, have taken on their own “language.” Like words, emoji have become such a prominent part of our culture that we have given them numerous meanings and significance to the point where people can now communicate via emoji rather than words — witnessed by how survey takers were able to tell a chronological story of a typical couple meeting, getting married, and having children just by a few emoji. Chevrolet recently rolled out a promotional campaign, explaining, “since words alone can’t describe the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, the media advisory is being issued in emoji, the small emotionally expressive digital images and icons in electronic communication.” Numerous commercials have been focused on decoding emoji messages, one of them even featuring a young “teacher” translating emojis to an grown “student.” Although this new “language” (like a modern day hieroglyphics) may only seem important when talking about the younger generation, 30 and under, it is one that is continuously evolving. If these emoticons have taken on such significantly different meanings in only a couple of years, the blending of emoji and language is one that is bound to continue.

Where and when is it appropriate to use emoji and in what context? Although more youth, ages 18–30, have admitted to using emoji in their profession or job, older generations view it as unprofessional or inappropriate. There is apparent divide in how the younger and older generations view emoji, so what does this say about the future of emoji? Emoji are relatively new to the language of electronic messaging and mainly thrive in text message conversations. Their presence is not as strong in work related emails due to their informality and childish nature. This may be a result of them being used casually and frequently during electronic conversation.

What “unprofessional” meant, participants explained, was the idea that emotions don’t need to be latched on to a business type of email, even if they might seem passive aggressive. Participants felt that emoji are used for quick, informal text exchanges, and many answered that they mainly use them on social media sites. Because they are used so freely on these platforms, they have made their way into fashion and ad campaigns, becoming their own brand, causing users to feel as though they should be left for less serious electronic interactions.

It seems that there are certain guidelines that people are beginning to follow when using emoji. These rules are not written, but a handful of participants seem to agree upon them. These are, emoji placement, the environment in which to use emoji, and the idea that emoji can be words, carrying multiple definitions. The tears of joy emoji was the Oxford Dictionaries “Word of the Year,” so it was interesting to learn how others felt about their purpose. The survey gave us an idea about the attitude towards emoji, whether or not they follow certain patterns or boundaries. We asked whether or not they were words that could stand alone, combine together to make full sentences, or if they are used as tool to avoid miscommunication. While some aspects of the survey had mixed answers, others had results where most participants agreed. This shows that in the short amount of years that the emoji has been around, their introduction to the world of technology has made a major impact that continues to progress and develop.