Using Emojis to Accelerate Online Relationships
What’s the purpose of emojis? Contrary to the popular belief that emojis are simply a fun addition to textual messages, emojis serve functional purposes in communication. They are utilized in different mediums and environments for different reasons relating to the human brain.
Emojis play a vital role in perceived intimacy in online communications between humans. When a friendly emoji such as “😁 ” is used, people associate the user as more outgoing and favorable to trust. The same areas in our brain fire when viewing an emoji as when recognizing a face in real life. We respond to different stimuli in parallel ways.
In a journal article titled, “Emoticon, Emoji, and Sticker Use in Computer-Mediated Communication: A Review of Theories and Research Findings” written by Ying Tang and Khe Foon Hew in the International Journal of Communication, Tang and Hew analyze more than 100 cited reference materials and 51 sample studies to determine the functional purpose of emojis.
Emojis perform “pragmatic functions in the way of assisting message interpretation, avoiding misunderstanding, and substituting textual expressions”(Tang, Hew). Gesturing and tone is a common form of communication that is lost on video-communications, especially with the minor lag that causes awkward apologies for accidental interruptions. Emojis bridge the gap between video communication and common elements of face-to-face communication. In-person, we constantly interject meaningless “uh-huh’s” and “ya’s” without the speaker stopping their speech. However, in Zoom, these filler words usually stop the speaker in their tracks. This causes an awkward interruption for all, a stark difference between natural interruptions in face to face communication. Why is that?
In her book “Because Internet”, Gretchen McCulloch writes that “interruptions aren’t randomly distributed in conversation… they’re at points when it seems like the main speaker could be finished talking but it turns out they aren’t”. In-person, “a syllable or two of overlap” isn’t an issue; we’ve learned how to just ignore and make a mental note of their listening. However, McCulloch thinks that “in conversations mediated by technology, overlaps can be a bigger problem.”(2) We haven’t yet mastered, both in video and online communication on text, how to insert syllables of interruption without railroading the entire conversation. I believe that emojis, inserted at the right time either on the screen or in the chatbox, could serve as a solution to awkward interruptions on zoom. They are a seamless interruption within themselves, both increasing feelings of intimacy and demonstrating active listening.
Furthermore, Tang and Hew note that representative findings in studies done on students from middle school to college show that dynamic emoticons produce a higher level of a social presence than static emoticons do. This may explain the increased use of GIFs and animated emojis in virtual communications. With Apple testing a new form of animated GIF specific to text, this could serve as another possible solution to gaps in internet communication.
The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has only accelerated the need for effective online communication. With offices not returning to in-person work until as late as July of 2021, everyone from students to CEOs is scrambling to foster relationships online. In an academic setting on Zoom, emojis may be more useful than previously thought. For a short yet informational research-based, click here to view the Instagram page, @soyouwanttotalkaboutemojis, which was designed for college students and professors to learn why they should use emojis on Zoom.
Emojis may be just what you need to forge a new friendship, secure a workplace relationship, or even connect with distant family members.
Cited Works:
- Tang, Y., Hew, K.F.: Emoticon, emoji, and sticker use in computer-mediated communications: understanding its communicative function, impact, user behavior, and motive. In: Deng, L., Ma, W.W.K., Fong, C.W.R. (eds.) New Media for Educational Change. ECTY, pp. 191–201. Springer, Singapore (2018).
- McCulloch, G. (in press). Because internet: Understanding the new rules of language. New York: Riverhead Books.
