Spotting the Omnipresent ‘Emojis’ in the Contemporary Communication Paradigm

A Historical Analysis

Abstract

‘Emojis are increasingly becoming popular in contemporary communication. Be it personal or professional communication or marketing communication, ‘emojis’ are there to be seen everywhere. It would not be too off the mark to say that ‘emojis’ have breathed a new lease of life into modern textual communication. From the inception of ‘emoticons’ as typographical expressions of emotions in the 1980s to the development of the pictorially rich ‘emojis’, text messages have evolved in form and meaning. However, it is equally important to understand that ‘emojis’ have not developed in seclusion and have been significantly influenced by concurrent global developments. What was once a pleasant textual break has become an art form.

This research paper primarily focuses on the development of ‘emojis’ from their initiation till date, covering the major milestones. It also throws light on the primary platforms that are used for ‘emojis.’ Further, this paper deliberates on the newer ‘emojis’ and tries to decipher what is in store for the future. The Case Study method has been primarily used for penning this paper. Through this paper, the researcher digs deep into the various online platforms to discover rare insights on this topic. This paper is expected to delineate the history of ‘emojis’ and map their impact on the current communication paradigm.