Can emojis change the world?

They bring a smile to your face. Or do they?

Emojis have been popular since the internet was invented. They had different graphics, but they existed. I remember using them on yahoo messenger, then gtalk and now whatsapp, facebook and practically everywhere.

They bring emotion to the virtual conversation, which otherwise looks pretty dry unless you generously use punctuation. :) :) :)

As we grow up, we learn to hide some emotions and show some. It falls under the hood of politeness. Be polite, don’t tell the person something that would hurt them. Be nice, appreciate what the person is saying. Emojis are perfect for that. You don’t see the person, but you assume that person is displaying the emotion of the emoji. They are the perfect digital masks. There is no body language involved, just a universal language of emotions.

My whatsapp is filled with sticking out tongues, winks and laughing with tears. I wonder how awkward these emotions would look when seen in everyday life all the time. Also, not sure whether I would want to see them in people. But, it’s ok in the virtual world.

Will this phenomenon improve human relationships? Or will the emotions lose their authenticity and novelty? Or will our digital masks become a permanent fixture, rewiring our brains?