When to Use Emoticons
The word "emoticon" is based on emotions: these symbols are designed to convey human feelings. Emoticons can range from expressing common emotions to different actions -- some of which can convey a story within itself. The use of emoticons rose during the early boom of Internet communication; it answered the need to display emotion in a space where no one could see your actual face. Emoticons can be used in various circumstances and Internet channels to achieve different goals, but they are not appropriate in every situation.
Other People Are Reading
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Emotion
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Emoticons act as substitutes in times when attaching emotion to a sentence is otherwise inefficient. For instance, the statement "I am busy today" does not state how the writer feels about being busy. Instead, writing "I am busy today :)" effectively conveys that the writer likes his filled schedule without adding an extra sentence. Several other common text based emoticons include the sad face ":(", winking face ";)" and blank face ":|". These are often seen in SMS messaging and basic chat rooms.
Non-Verbal Communication
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Several Web-based programs completely integrate emoticons into conversations. These clients offer a more extensive set of emoticons; for example, they often expand beyond the limitations of text emoticons to display laughter, anger and surprise. They also use emoticons that connote specific activities such as drinking coffee or reading a book. By offering emoticons that can stand on their own, these sites encourage nonverbal communication. It is common to find posts and replies which mainly utilize emoticons to convey the message. For instance, replying with several "laughing out loud" emoticons on a humorous post is usually a sufficient answer. Instant messaging and other chat clients typically integrate emoticons into conversations.
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Attention
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Content creators may use emoticons to grab a reader's attention. Rich media emoticons based on Flash or Java are often dynamic and moving, making these ideal for adding movement to a post. These emoticons add an effective contrast to text, which may make the content easier to read. Moreover, these emoticons may add personality and an informal tone to traditionally standardized content. For example, blog owners may use emoticons to create editorials on news events to display their opinions on the event. Rather than sounding formal and authoritative, using emoticons may make the blog post more down-to-earth and accessible to the general reader. Attention grabbing emoticons are usually used in different social media channels such as personal networks and blogs.
Insight: When Not to Use
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Due to the popularity of online communication, many people have put more focus on when not to use emoticons. Emoticons have become significant faux pas in some online channels; online experts agree that emoticons should generally not be used in these circumstances. Kelly Watkins, president of Expressive Concepts, states that excessive use of emoticons in the workplace can confuse older readers or convey an unprofessional attitude. Using emoticons in professional emails may convey a lighthearted tone, but it adds the risk of being considered too personal -- especially at first contact with a person. Unless emoticons are culturally accepted, Watkins suggests using other methods to convey a tone.
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References
- "Pittsburgh Post Gazette"; Workzone" Use Emoticons Carefully in Emails with Boss; Erich Schwartzel; Sep 2010
- "Email, SMS and MMS"; Carmen Frehner; 2008
- "Email Etiquette"; Samantha Miller; 2001
Resources
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