Communication with the use of emoticons ;-)
In last week’s lecture we talked about new media communication and how emoticons are used in written and spoken communication. Sauter (2014) spoke about “computer mediated communication” of how we use tools and symbols to communicate and express ourselves thru new media. One of the readings from Crystal (2006) discusses the difference between written language, what we see online, and speech language, face-to-face communication (see below).
Written Language:
Lacks of simultaneous feedback such as nodding and facial expression.
Messages cannot overlap and there is a “waiting period” between the messages.
“Time delay” – it can take seconds/minutes/ hours/days/weeks before you get a reply and this change each time (see first picture 1).
Easy to misunderstand each other and it also takes longer time to correct (see picture 2).
We do not have the opportunity to express feelings, meaning or emphasise a point. Therefore, we try to find ways to express ourselves by the use of symbols such as smileys/emoticons or spelling/abbreviations (see 3 picture).
Speech Language:
Instant feedback.
Overlapping messages, there is a normal “flow” in the message.
Direct/instant response.
No misunderstanding since the message is clear.
Use of facial expression, body language, gesture, facial expression, using tone of voice, speed, pause, rhythm.
(Google Image 2014)
Emoticons
Salló (2011) explains that “the first emoticon, ‘the smiley’, was created by Harvey Ball in 1963, after which the symbol was trade-marked in London in 1968, and it became more and more popular”. Moreover, it was first used to decorate object such as t-shirts, cups, buttons and stickers. In the 1990s the smiley became “the symbol of acid house music culture” and was often seen on ecstasy pills.
(Google Image 2014)
Today the smiley, called emoticons, it is used through new media were it assists us to express our feelings. Skovholt, Gronning and Kankaanranta (2014) states that emoticons are “graphic signs which are used to indicate an emotional state” and we use these to compensate for “lack of nonverbal communication’ such as gesture, facial expressions.
(Google Image 2014)
However, there are so much more to emoticons then just expressing a feeling but also expressing an activity. For example, Facebook uses cats and dogs to support the written language. Salló (2011) states that ”emoticons can provide support to written communication, in much the same way that visual or body language can enhance verbal communication”. Furthermore, image and text makes the process of written communications more entertaining, the conversation becomes more colorful.
This YouTube video demonstrates how written communication would look like in real life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmU3f6Ow36Y
Theresa explained it as “the end of anticipation” where we constant communicate through new media to the state that we longer have anything left to talk about in real life. Baron (2008, 7) explains it as “to the extent language technologies make it possible to always be in contact, we end up sharing a great deal of information and experiences, which in earlier times we might have saved up for face-to-face meetings.” I usually keep my family update about my life by sending messages. The backside is that when we Skype we always end up talking about the weather because there is nothing left to say.
References
Baron, Naomi. 2008. “Ch 1: Email to Your Brain: Language in an Online and Mobile World.” In Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World, 3-10. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Accessed April 3, 2014. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au
BuzzFeedVideo. 2014. “IM-ing In Real Life”. Youtube Video, posted March 5. Accessed April 7, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmU3f6Ow36Y
Crystal, David. 2006. “Chapter 2 : The Medium of Netspeak”. In Language and the internet, edited by David Crystal, 26 – 65. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Accessed April 3, 2014. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au
Google Image. 2014. Image. Accessed April 3, 2014. www.google.com
Salló, Szilárd. 2011, "The Faces of Messenger Emoticons in the Virtual Communication“. Journal of Social Analysis (1) 2: 307-332. Accessed April 7, 214. http://search.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/1418299539
Skovholt, Karianne, Anette Grønning and Anne Kankaanranta. 2014. “The Communicative Functions of Emoticons in Workplace E-Mails: :-).” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. Published online before print. Accessed April 3, 2014. doi: 10.1111/jcc4.12063
Sauter, Theresa. 2014. “New media communication”: Week 6 lecture notes”. Accessed April 7, 2014. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/