The GIF Takeover
The written word has reigned supreme for thousands of years as a communication mode. It’s easy, convenient, and lasts as long as the thing you write it on. Well, maybe it’s not easy, but at least it’s lasting, and there has to be something to say for such a wildly popular phenomenon.
Enter the GIF, or graphics interface format. Developed some thirty odd years ago, GIFs somehow haven’t gained popularity till recent years. While the written and spoken word used to be the best mode of communication, they’ve been shoved to the side by newer and better things. It started with emoticons, which turned into emojis, but even those are slowly being replaced.
How is it possible to communicate without saying (or writing) a single word? It may seem unfathomable, but GIFs are rising in popularity due to their ability to convey exact feelings with little to no effort. A series of moving images can say what you’re feeling, and all you have to do is find the right ones. The question remains, though: are GIFs an effective mode of communication? With their ease of use, breadth of subjects, and sense of emotions, I’d say most definitely.
For the past few years, GIFs as their own form of language have emerged, to the extent of publications posting articles encouraging readers to use GIFs instead of texting and calling. They are especially popular among younger generations, probably due to their growing access to new technology. That said, they’re also popular among older generations, although they’re having a tougher time gaining the raging popularity they have amongst teens.
GIFs as a language is somewhat of a novel idea, although it’s becoming more of a reality every day. GIFs are replacing words as a communication mode, and I think it’s a good move. There’s literally no end to the things you can put together GIFs for, from movies and tv shows to interviews and panels. They can include text from the source material, or just be the looped video, and they get the point across either way. GIFs as communication are an easy way to get every aspect of your thought across, without the room for interpretation that writing leaves.
Despite their usefulness, GIFs can have their downsides too. Having them as a fully formed language of their own could have serious consequences, like reducing the ability of a whole generation to express themselves in any other way. It’s also noteworthy that GIFs are reducing the amount of face to face communication necessary for understanding, which can be a bad thing in some cases.
Regardless, it’s inarguable that GIFs are becoming more and more popular with each passing second, and their ability to take over language only grows with their popularity. Perhaps we’ll end up communicating entirely in GIF form one day, but till then, I guess writing will still have a place.
Links:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gif-language-trend_us_55affa6fe4b0a9b948538bde
