Suzanne Carillo

Have We Regressed Back To Writing On Cave Walls?

Who decided that instead of actually using words to communicate we should revert back to prehistoric times and communicate like cavemen writing on each other’s walls with drawings?

 

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good happy face.

Who doesn’t?

The Happy Face, Smiley was the face of the 1970’s.  Invented by Harvey Ross Ball, an ad man in 1963 to raise morale for an insurance company and then appropriated Bernard and Murray Spain, brothers and owners of Hallmark stores in 1971 with the addition of the slogan “Have a Happy Day” the yellow face became an iconic symbol of the hippie generation.

Later a Frenchman, Franklin Loufranisaw the financial opportunity within and trademarked the image for commercial exploitation dubbing it “Smiley”.

Now commonly seen in Walmart, as the stamped image on illegal drugs, on t-shirts and most notably as of late on our phones the smiley face is the basis of the emojis that 72% of youths between 18-25 prefer to use to express their feelings over written words.

Reading some of my text messages is like trying to decipher hieroglyphics. I need a Rosetta Stone to translate for me.

I have no idea what some of these are supposed to mean.

Sometimes emojis frustrate me.

I will admit I use emojis when I want to be sure someone understands I’m being ironic or am joking.

Let’s face it, on the internet everything is flat and without intonation, much is lost in translation. Adding emojis can be useful to express emotions to text that is seen on a bright screen and void of human feeling.

I do not however, use emojis in place of conversation or the written word.

In fact, I’ve taken to using emojis to end a conversation.

I’ll write, “Man Wearing Turban, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, Panda Bear, Dancer in Red Dress, Pig, Dog, Monkey, Alien Face, Tongue, Ghost With Tongue Out, Squirrel, Flower, Frog, Lips,”

and then wait to see if they have the guts to respond.

 

 

Do you enjoy using emojis?

Do you ever have a hard time understanding what they’re supposed to mean?