08ENG3 Millie Tagney
😂😁😜🚂2️⃣1️⃣
Emoji- the knick-knack of the 21st century
At the rate Emoji’s are developing, they may be considered an international language. Are they a
legitimate form of communication, or just the 😂 that you add at the end of a text?
By Millie Tagney, Published through http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/
Emoji’s - the bright yellow faces that seem to be
taking over keyboards, an average of 5 billion
Emoji are being sent daily on messenger.
(Burge, 2017) Tracing back through history, it is
found that even in caveman times, hundreds
and thousands of years ago, people used similar
pictographs to convey messages to others. This
way of using images to communicate is not
new, and Emoji are breaking down barriers that
written language cannot. Apple has recently
celebrated world Emoji day, on the 17th of July
2018, with the addition of several new Emoji to
the iOS keyboard. These Japanese ‘Emoji,’ ‘e,’
meaning picture, ‘Moji,’ meaning character, are
expanding and now considering different races
and diversity, with different foods, objects, and
animals being added.
Emoji are easily recognized worldwide, and the
symbols are a form of communication any
language can understand. Given these symbols
are such a global way of communicating, it
would seem that considering them to be a
legitimate language would not be out of
commission. Smartphones and laptops actually
have Emoji available as another written
language, on the keyboard of an iPhone,
‘Emoji,’ being found in between Dutch and
Estonian. In 2015, Oxford dictionary names the
‘face with tears of joy,’ Emoji as the word of the
year. These ‘picture
characters,’ are
developing rapidly
and may actually be
considered a global
language.
3/9/2018
Take this series of Emoji - 👀 🐯… Eye of the tiger,
of course. People expressing words and using
these Emoji puzzles has been a worldwide
phenomenon. However, Emoji lack one key
component… grammar. Without the use of
grammar and no form of tense or punctuation
in Emoji’s, it can be hard to convey full
sentences. Fred Benenson, with the help of
almost a thousand people, translated Herman
Melville’s “Moby Dick,” into Emoji icons.
‘People have called it a🗿of Emoji,’ Benenson
explains. (Living in emoji, 2014) Similar to any
other artist, Fred has his critics, and it is
understandable that many people frown upon
this translation of a significant piece of
literature, when Emoji are barely sophisticated
enough to create a clear sentence.
The computer-generated smiley faces have
been quite the controversial topic among
linguists, writers and the general public, each
person having their own beliefs on Emoji.
Emoticons are just another sign of ‘degradation
of writing skills,’ communications professor Bill
Lancaster states. Many professional writers are
especially disappointed at the use of Emoji,
explains the New York Times. “I am deeply
offended by them,” British journalist Maria
McErlane deplores. She finds using Emoji’s
“lazy,” and asks “aren’t words enough?”
(Anderson, 2015) There is also a large issue with
the interpretation of Emoji’s, some people
going above and beyond. In Virginia 2015, a
high school student was charged with
08ENG3 Millie Tagney
harassment and threatening staff, the messages
containing a gun Emoji as well as a knife and
bomb. She claimed it was just a joke and never
intended to harm anyone. (Kirley & McMahon,
2017)
Though many will not admit, Emoji’s do bring
several advantages to our world of
communication and certainly further our way of
expression and speech. People inarguably rely
on technology as a form of communicating.
Emoji allow individuals to convey tone and
allow a text message to be interpreted
correctly. They can lighten the mood in texting
situations, find a more comfortable way of
personal expression and a simple Emoji can
work in response when people just can’t find
the right word. (Seiter, 2015) In a 2013 study,
152 working professionals responded to
questions regarding emails both with and
without emoticons that were part of a
workplace situation. The study showed that the
smiley face added reduced the negative effect
of the email. It was also gathered that the
emoticons were considered unprofessional,
however, the sender appeared more friendly.
In spite of the present controversy in regard to
Emoji’s, they are still very useful and certainly
can embellish the conversations we have
digitally. They may be considered the death of
formal language, however with their gaining
popularity and love for the characters
worldwide they certainly are an excellent way
of providing a global language- something that
can add to conversations that everyone
understands. The characters may not be
enough on their own to create a sophisticated
novel but add richness to visual communication.
Emoji’s are effective in expressing emotion, yet
are uncontrolled and users globally must be
sensitive when using them. They may’ve been
the ‘thing,’ when first released, but now they
seem to be just a full stop at the end of every
sentence 😁
08ENG3 Millie Tagney

Bibliography:
1. Apple celebrates World Emoji Day

In-text: ("Apple celebrates World Emoji Day", 2018)

Apple celebrates World Emoji Day. (2018). Retrieved from

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/07/apple-celebrates-world-Emoji-day/

2. The Big Problem With Emojis

In-text: ("The Big Problem With Emojis", 2017)

The Big Problem With Emojis. (2017). Author: Joan Gage. Retrieved from
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3. Cohn, N.

Will Emoji become a new language?

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Cohn, N. (2015). Will Emoji become a new language?. Retrieved from

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4. Anderson, R.

Is it Time to Reconsider Emoticons? The Case for the Legal Smiley

In-text: (Anderson, 2015)

Anderson, R. (2015). Is it Time to Reconsider Emoticons? The Case for the Legal Smiley.
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5. Sternbergh, A.

Smile, You’re Speaking Emoji

In-text: (Sternbergh, 2014)

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Sternbergh, A. (2014). User Data and Cookie Consent. Retrieved from

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/Emojis-rapid-evolution.html

6. Living in Emoji

In-text: ("Living in Emoji", 2014)

Living in Emoji. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Zqu1-BdQ0

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Fred Benenson: the man who translated Moby Dick into Emoji

In-text: (Popovich, 2013)

Popovich, N. (2013). Fred Benenson: the man who translated Moby Dick into Emoji. Retrieved from
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In-text: ("Is Emoji the language of the future? | this.", n.d.)

Is Emoji the language of the future? | this. Retrieved from http://this.deakin.edu.au/society/is-Emoji-the-

language-of-the-future

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Emoticons Move to the Business World - Cultural Studies

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Newman, J. (2011). Emoticons Move to the Business World - Cultural Studies. Retrieved from
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Church, G. (2016). The hidden benefits of Emojis • Creative Digest. Retrieved from http://www.creativedigest.net/the-hidden-benefits-of-Emojis/

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Why Do We Use Emojis?

In-text: (Lowell, 2016)

Lowell, A. (2016). Why Do We Use Emojis?. Retrieved from

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use-Emojis

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7 Science-Based Reasons to Use Emoticons

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Your Bibliography: Seiter, C. (2015). 7 Science-Based Reasons to Use Emoticons. Retrieved

from https://blog.bufferapp.com/7-reasons-use-emoticons-writing-social-media-according-
science

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Some SCIENCE Behind the Smiley… Emoticons and Their Possible Impact on the Workplace

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Hannah J. Gacey, L. (2013). Some SCIENCE Behind the Smiley… Emoticons and Their
Possible Impact on the Workplace. Retrieved from https://hrfloridareview.org/item/266-some-
science-behind-the-smiley-emoticons-and-their-possible-impact-on-the-workplace

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5 Billion Emojis Sent Daily on Messenger

In-text: (Burge, 2017)

Burge, J. (2017). 5 Billion Emojis Sent Daily on Messenger. Retrieved from

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In-text: (Kirley & McMahon, 2017)

Kirley, E., & McMahon, M. (2017). Why the law treats Emoji very seriously. Retrieved from
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cases/9227136
08ENG3 Millie Tagney

Feedback notes:

- Condense information (don’t ramble on)

- Talk about Emoji use being sensitive in their use
- Emoji are not sophisticated
- Can be useful and add interest when being used as a novelty
- Are not actually their own language