We love our emojis. It adds extra ‘colour’ to the messages we send out. It is a part of what is called, ‘digital body language’.
Like our in-person physical body language, digital body language concerns the subtle cues that implicitly convey our mood or level of engagement, which affect the meaning of the words we say and how the receiver interprets the message– be it in text, on the phone or in a video call.
“Research shows that roughly 60% to 80% of our face-to-face communication is non-verbal language, such as the pacing, pauses, gestures and tone. All of these cues bring energy and emotional nuance to our message,” leadership expert Erica Dhawan says. “In many ways, punctuation and the use of symbols and emojis in a digital world are the new means of conveying that emotion.”
Emoji are more than meets the eye 👀
We often use emoji to express things we’re used to doing in person in speech or signing, but emoji is evolving as its own system, too!
- To stand in for gestures.In person there are times when we want to let our pals know that we’re listening or give a reaction without interrupting, and emoji give us a way to do this in writing! Emoji let us agree (), shrug (🤷♂️), and do all sorts of things we might do with our hands and body language in person!
- To replace facial expressions.The right emoji can help the person you are writing to know whether you’re being sarcastic (😏) or skeptical (🤔) – all the information we want to convey in person but may not want to explicitly say in words when writing.
- To replace rhythm and intonation.In spoken language, we use the rhythm of our voice to give emphasis to certain words and phrases. In sign languages, we use visual rhythm. Emojis serve the same purposes in written language! For example, you might use the 😬 emoji to indicate reluctance (the way that, if you were speaking, you might slow your speech and change your intonation and voice to show you’re not thrilled about something).
- To clarify meaning.We also use emoji to add information to help the recipient understand our intended meaning. For example, “thank you” on its own might seem incomplete without a ❤️ if you want to express deeper gratitude.
Broadly, your use of punctuation and emojis are part of a bigger set of cues that will establish the tone of your exchanges – whether they feel formal or informal, enthusiastic or bored. Other signals will include your greetings (whether you include a friendly “Hello” at the start of the message or simply dive straight in), and your sign off (an emotionally distant “Regards” versus an enthusiastic “Thanks!”). The tone of your texts depends on who the receiver of the messages is. If you are sending a message to a teacher, it is best to remain formal and polite.
Ultimately, simply proof-reading your messages to ensure that the meaning and the emotional subtexts are as clear and appropriate as possible, could facilitate open and clear communication.
How good are you at understanding emoji? Take a fun quiz to find out!
1. What does this emoji 🙌mean?
- Praying
- Surrender
- Celebration
- A sign of rejection
2. What do you think this emoji 😶🌫️ refers to?
- A foggy or confused state of mind
- A person who is daydreaming
- A person who is unrealistic
- Santa Claus
3. When is this emoji 👉👈 usually used?
- When a person wants people to meet face to face
- When a person is really bad at directions
- When a person is nervous or embarrassed about what he/she going to ask/talk about
- When the person is portraying a gun fight between two parties
Deciphering 3 Commonly Misinterpreted Texts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGM2cb24Obk (2.31 mins)
