Have emojis changed the world?

In just two decades, emoji has become ‘the fastest growing language in history’. But are there more complex implications to their popularity? With more than 92% of internet users now using emojis, and billions used every day, do the simple digital pictograms have wider implications for society, relationships and even the way we're hardwired?

Yes, emojis have transformed human relationships.

Emojis have changed the way that people perceive and respond to each other.

Emojis restrict emotional range in communication.

There are a limited number of emojis. Therefore, as people increasingly use them to express emotions, their emotional range becomes defined (and restricted) by available emojis. Explore

Emojis have created new brain patterns in humans.

The human brain has now evolved to correctly identify the intended meaning of an ambiguous sentence, when an emoji is also used for emphasis. Explore

People subconsciously judge others based on their emoji use.

Research shows that people now make assumptions about other people and their personalities, based on their emoji use. Explore

No, the impact of emojis is exaggerated.

The growth in emoji use is part of the much more transformative digital revolution. Emojis are impactful insofar as they enhance (or diminish) existing forms of communication. However, they have no revolutionary impact in and of themselves.

Emoji use reflects the contexts and identities of their users.

Research shows that emoji use between different populations reflects social, cultural and other contextual specificities unique to each group. Explore

Emojis are a byproduct of the digital revolution.

Explore

Emojis are a subsidiary element of more mainstream communication.

They enhance (or diminish) existing forms of communication, which they exist within. Explore

Emojis are modern day hieroglyphics.

From ancient times, humans have always used images to communicate. Emojis are just the latest iteration. Explore

Emojis are a response to real world events

Emojis are created as a response to real world trends and events Explore

No, the impact of emojis is limited to communication.

The use of emojis has fundamentally changed the way individuals express themselves and communicate.

Emojis have contributed to lower levels of literacy.

2018 Google study showed that more than 33% of UK adults held them responsible for perceived degradation of the English language. Explore

Emojis are simply non-verbal cues in online communication.

Most of the meaning conveyed in face to face communication is delivered via non-verbal cues. Emojis are the natural graduation of those signs into written language. Explore

Yes, emojis have far-reaching social implications.

Emojis are now so ingrained in our communication, that they affect everything from the governance of society to global business strategies.

Emojis now influence our courts.

The use of emojis in online messages as evidence for intent, in otherwise ambiguous cases has risen dramatically in recent years. Emojis have now been the critical piece of proof in hundreds of legal cases. Explore

Emojis have established a new axis of power.

Emojis are made 'official' by being established within the Unicode. This is decided by the Unicode Consortium, a powerful committee made up of a small group of the world's most powerful tech companies. Explore

Emojis are increasingly used by big business to expand their customer base.

Consumers are increasingly responsive to campaigns that integrate emojis. Both corporate and consumer behaviours have therefore adapted to the growing influence of emojis. Explore

This page was last edited on Wednesday, 4 Dec 2019 at 15:41 UTC

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