How many of us use emojis to communicate?

Language comes in many forms and one of the most ancient types of language is visual symbols. Emojis are visual symbols that help enhance our written language. They can replace words or whole phrases and still be understood by many.

Emojis were originally created to symbolize emotions with pictures. But when were emojis first introduced? Below is a brief history of this popular communication symbol that is now a part of our daily conversations.

HISTORY…

• 1862: “The New York Times” is responsible for the first use of an emoticon — ‘:)’ — when they misprinted a transcribed copy of President Abraham Lincoln’s speech. Historians argue whether it was a sideways winking smiley face or simply just a mistakenly typed semicolon alongside a closed parenthesis.
• 1997: AIM introduces its Buddy Icons, which were small images or icons conveying feelings.
• 1999: The first emoji, which is a Japanese expression that means “picture word” is created by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita.
• 2008: Google first introduced emojis in Gmail.
• 2011: Apple introduced an official emoji keyboard on iOS, with Android following two years later.
• 2017: New emoji proposals suggest characters to convey information across language and culture.

WHY ARE EMOJIS IMPORTANT?

• Like punctuation, they help express emotion.
• They can suggest tone of voice or body language.
• They help us become better in identifying our own emotions, which helps us become better at sensing others’ emotions.
• Help us better understand something visually when things get lost in translation through words.
• They can play a crucial role in communication for individuals who do not express themselves through spoken language.
• They can complement existing Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tools like communication boards or speech-generating devices.

When in doubt, emoji it out!