Are emojis a part of your communicating style?
July 17 was world emoji day. emojis have become a universal language of communication. they play a vital role as far as communication in relationships is concerned. We use emojis to convey our thoughts and feelings. It helps us express in ways that at times reflect our personality.
Emojis can help us either attach meaning to our words or they can replace our words. The way we use them in our communication reflects our inherent nature, characteristics and personality traits. It also talks about the dynamics of a relationship. When emojis support our words, they exhibit a clear form of communication, but when they are used as a replacement, it’s perception becomes subjective and varies from person to person. It can be a little tricky. Especially in intimate relationships, where every word and emoticon received are amplified, its meaning can be misconstrued.
People who use too many emojis are either too expressive or too lazy – depending on whether they use it to attach a meaning or replace words respectively. Everyone usually has a set of favourite emojis to use. Those describe their emotional state, deep feeling, mood index etc. of course, the use of emojis would differ as per the context and situation and sometimes wouldn’t reflect one’s personality traits but a situational response.
Emojis have become basic relationship maintenance tools. People get so used to their partner’s predictable ways of communication, – thanks to the use of emojis. Love, joy, sarcasm, sulk etc can be expressed explicitly. I have a client who is almost phobic about her partner’s style of using emoticons. She gets restless when she sees a specific emojis sent to her. its upsets her to no end and makes her highly insecure.
Well, there are people who use emoticons to dilute the essence of harsh reality, which again talks volumes about them as a person. It shows their compassion and sensitivity. A person using it compulsively indicates frivolity or casualness. There are escapists or tactful people who choose to use emojis to avoid an argument or confrontation. Honest form of communication doesn’t always need emoticons. They shouldn’t be over used and shouldn’t change the flavour of communication – for it can hamper the meaning to be conveyed.
Be mindful about your emoji usage. Do not over do but don’t be stingy either. A smile goes a long way and never hurts. So, the best bet would be to use a smiley, to help you smile and bring a smile on your partner’s face.