Emoji. The word officially entered the English language in 2015. That shows how attached we’ve become to these amusing little expressions of sentiment.
But when is it – and when is it not – appropriate to use them? And what are the risks of us getting it wrong?
The answer to the above, we would argue, depends on your relationship with your interlocutor. In short: you have to trust your judgement. It’s safe to say that Emojis offer a more uninhibited, casual mode of communication, which when used effectively, will strengthen bonds and break barriers. Yet when used clumsily, may leave you with some relationship-building to do…
Communication is a two-way process. We are only in control of our side of the exchange. We can choose how to act (send) and react (receive). But we can’t control what happens on the other side. When we lack the benefit of information gleaned from facial cues and body language – as is the case with any written language – pitching our language just right becomes even harder.
The art of effective communication lies in understanding the other person, their background, perspective, beliefs, etc. Which is why Tongue Tied uses only native speakers to translate texts. And, yes, Emojis need translating sometimes too!
The ‘good luck’ gesture at the bottom of this page is a great example of why: crossed fingers have quite obscene connotations in Vietnam. Meanwhile, in Greece, displaying your palm to another person (as in the gesture ‘stop’) is equally insulting. Over in Italy, the American-born rock ‘n’ roll ‘bull horns’ is a definite no-no. The list of potential international insults goes on as the Emoji family continues to grow…
Even when you think you are on safe ground, you may not be. Emojis were born in Japan, with very specific Japanese connotations. Take the ‘prayer hands’, for instance. "Let’s hope and pray" is the most obvious interpretations to us Westerners. However, in Japanese culture, this hand gesture is a clear expression of gratitude or an apology. And the little lady with her hands held above her head as if doing pirouette, she’s saying "OK!" in Japanese, as it were.
One study* involving participants located in the US only, showed that people disagreed on whether the sentiment of an Emoji was positive, neutral, or negative, 25% of the time. Add cultural factors into the mix and the risk of misinterpretation only increases.
To make things even more confusing, different platforms (Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft, to name a few) have different representations of Emojis, some of which bear no resemblance at all!
To help you ride the Emojinal rollercoaster, we suggest you check out emojipedia.
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