An emoticon or emoji is pictorial representation of emotions, expressions, objects, or ideas that are used in digital communication.
They are typically composed of a combination of keyboard characters or Unicode characters and are widely used on social media platforms to convey emotions or add visual elements to messages or posts.
Emojis have become part of the computer and mobile phone keyboards. It is not exaggeration if we say that there is no app that lets you type something, but does not support emojis. RecurPost of course supports emojis when you schedule your social media posts.
Fun Fact
The use of emoticons to convey emotions in written communication dates back to the early days of the internet and online messaging. The first documented use of the smiley emoticon 🙂 can be traced back to 1982 by computer scientist Scott Fahlman.
Emojis, on the other hand, originated in Japan in the late 1990s and gained widespread popularity with the rise of smartphones and messaging apps.
Controversy
The interpretation and usage of emojis can vary across cultures and contexts, leading to potential miscommunication or misunderstandings.
Additionally, emojis have faced controversies related to cultural appropriation, stereotyping, and the potential for emojis to reinforce biases or exclusionary practices.
Efforts have been made to introduce more diverse and inclusive emojis to address these concerns.
FAQs about Emoticon/Emoji
To use emojis, most social media platforms provide an emoji picker or keyboard that allows you to select and insert emojis directly into your posts or messages. You can access the emoji picker by clicking on the emoji icon or using a keyboard shortcut. Choose the desired emoji and insert it into your text.
Emoticons are created using a combination of keyboard characters, such as 🙂 for a smiley face, while emojis are pictorial representations that are often standardized across different platforms. Emoticons are based on typographical elements, while emojis are visual graphics or images.
While individuals cannot create official Unicode emojis, some messaging apps or platforms allow users to create custom emojis or stickers for personal use within the app. However, these custom emojis may only be visible or usable within that specific app or platform.
