NEXT UP! 2 92 We use billions of emojis daily in texts, chats and in comment sections. These small symbols have changed our digital communication. But, do they help us understand each other better? In 2010, Apple had created a full set of emojis to be used on all phones and computers. Today, we have thousands of emojis to choose between. Surveys show that different age groups have different favourites. If you’re over 55, you’re more likely to use . And in China, was the most popular amongst people born in the 2000s. They have even found out that people from separate regions interpret emojis differently. However, in 2015, Oxford English Dictionary chose as its word of the year. So, we all understand the “tears of joy” in the same way, right? Depending on the age group, this smiley face can be understood differently: either “it’s all good, I’m happy” or “this really isn’t fine”. Young people feel this smiley doesn’t send a positive message; older people think it does. So when you communicate across age groups, remember that we have different understandings of what emojis mean. Did your mum ever send you to say you’re having chocolate ice-cream for dessert? And if a friend sends you , are you offended or flattered? The goat emoji can mean Greatest of All Time, a compliment to the person who receives it. They haven’t been part of our vocabulary for very long, but emojis are definitely here to stay. So, do emojis help us understand each other better? Most of the time, yes, but maybe not across age groups or different regions. Perhaps they are most useful when you communicate with someone you know really well. easy read Before reading What do you think the title of this text could be? Write down your suggestions in words. Think about the following: Do you feel that you can communicate your feelings and thoughts more easily with emojis? a billion – milljarður a comment section – athugasemdakerfi to create – skapa a set – safn a survey – könnun amongst – meðal found out (to find out) – komast að separate – hér: aðskilið to interpret – túlka a dictionary – orðabók chose (to choose) – valdi depending on – háð across – þvert á offended – móðgaður flattered – upp með sér to receive – fá a vocabulary – orðaforði definitely – án efa
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