The Role of Emojis as Gestures in Communication

Background

Human beings are created to coexist among themselves in a social setup. Therefore, their physical features are aligned to ensure that they make it as easy as possible to thrive in society. For instance, their means of communication have evolved into the social realm; they have developed verbal language that ensures that each message is vocalized and delivered accurately. Similarly, they have ears that are positioned to capture verbal messages optimally. However, the impressive evolution is not just limited to their anatomy. The means of communication have also evolved, as research and innovation has led to new creations aimed at making life even easier. For instance, listening is a central component in the study of sound. Traditionally, researchers have offered limited definitions of this term. As Rice records, listening conventionally refers to deliberately paying attention in deliberate attempts to register a sound (99). However, this constricted meaning no longer serves the purpose comprehensively in the current soundscape.

The scope of the definition of listening as expanded considerably as the interest in the study of sound has intensified. Scholars such as Rice and Kassabian have explored the various types and applications of listening. For instance, Kassabian notes that “Hearing is basically a specialized form of touch. Sound is simply vibrating air which the ear picks up and converts to electrical signals, which are then interpreted by the brain” (p. 15). Inferring from Kassabian, then, listening may be defined as the action of perceiving vibrations around a person. Rice offers another perspective on listening, noting that, “in contemporary usage the term does not always refer to auditory attention” (100). In this view, listening encompasses paying attention in both the auditory and non-auditory spheres, with the intention of capturing a message passed either verbally or otherwise. This opens up new avenues for the understanding of listening and communication. Admittedly, the possible applications of listening as described here is so vast that one can only focus on those that are relevant to their immediate context (Rice 101). Therefore, listening herein will be interpreted with a view of non-verbal communication.

Nonverbal communication in the traditional sense encompasses the cues that a speaker may use to emphasize on their messages by either gesticulating or using facial expressions. This essay envisages gestures as defined by Adam Kendon: “visible body actions that may be used in conjunction with spoken expressions or as alternatives to them” (3). Notably, Kendon was addressing his research at the context of face to face conversation. Clearly, gestures in face to face conversation play the role of not only complimenting the message carried by the words, but also may be independently meaningful. However, the contexts of communication has evolved in line with the advancements in technology. In the past, distant communication was considered incomplete and ineffective relative to the face to face alternative (Walther and D’Addario 324). However, the invention of computers and the internet has revolutionized communication.

Computer mediated communication is one the most prevalent means of communication. In this respect, computer mediated communication is the interpersonal interaction that occurs over electronic devices (Walther and D’Addario 325). In the modern age, the most predominant such devices are smartphones or their equivalent. Initially communication was purely verbal unless it was face to face, but innovation and refinement of prior technology is changing this. Specifically, there are emojis used commonly in chatting across social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. An emoji, according to Tandyonomanu and Tsuroyya are the pictographic representations of facial expressions as well other inanimate objects as used in text messages and digital communication as a whole (1). Since they depict facial expressions in texting, they allow one to communicate non-verbally, capturing emotions and enhancing communication. Essentially, they are equivalent in meaning to gestures as earlier defined by Kendon. Given the expanded scope of listening, communication over distances now must consider the interpretation of these nonverbal elements. This sets the background for the interest of the present study.

Research Question

This research endeavor will seek to establish the manner in which one may listen to gestures. This is a needful area of research, since the study of gestures is a relatively new field (Kendon 2). Therefore, it follows that any research into the implications of the study of gestures, as the present study seeks to be, will be of value to the discipline, contributing to the body of knowledge. This research derives further novelty from the fact that it does not consider the conventional integration of gestures, but its equivalent in the computer mediated communication realm. In order to be focused and coherent, this study will pursue the answer to the research question below.

How can one “listen” to gesture? In particular, how can one understand the emotion that travels in symbols like emojis that add gesture to texted language?

Theoretical Framework

Several theories attempt to conceptualize and compare the effectiveness of communication via the various means open to the people today. Two of these theories will provide the framework for the analysis of data herein. The Media Richness Theory (MRT) depends on the foundational claim that the primary goal of communication is to minimize or eliminate equivocality and uncertainty (Cable & Yu 831). On this premise, it seeks to aid all research in the interest of evaluating the accuracy of the accuracy and effectiveness of various media of communication can relay a message. It then theorizes that different media have differing abilities to facilitate the improvement in understanding between parties in communication. It proposes four criteria to differentiate the media with the highest accuracy and effectiveness in communication (Cable & Yu 832). They include feedback, which is the immediacy of obtainment of responses; language variety, meaning the amount of meaning carried via symbols; personal focus, addressing the customizability of messages to various recipients; and multiple cues, which refers to the amount of information passed in communication. Therefore, this theory may help examine and analyze the data at hand for the effectiveness and accuracy of the use of emojis in communicating, as opposed to face to face cues.

Similarly, the Social Information Processing Theory takes an interest in the interpretation of communication. It claims that face to face communication is converted into linguistics, verbal content, chronemic cues, and stylistics within the realm of computer mediated communication. In this view, the theory posits that “Computer Mediated Communication is as capable as face to face communication…based on the substitutability of verbal and nonverbal cue” (Walther and D’Addario 329). Therefore, herein lies an implication that so long as there are means of countering the limitations of a communication medium, the environment of communication is rendered irrelevant. This theory provided grounds to test the effectiveness of sending messages using gestures in computer mediated communication, in terms of whether they have the expected ability to overcome the interpretational bias implied in the absence of explicit verbal communication.

Data

This research will analyze data from news articles reporting on the law’s position regarding the use of emojis in the United Arab Emirates. Several reports cover the said law, and they will comprise the data that this research will be analyzing. The first article is from The New Arabian, a relatively new publication targeting a global audience with its online publication. It considers itself a non-partisan paper, but, notably, the article in focus is filed anonymously. It reports of the outlawing of the use of rude emojis in the nation, citing the example of the popular eggplant emoji. Although it notes that possible prosecution may only follow the perception of an emoji as being threatening, harassing, or insulting, the article offers a wider view of the issue. It labels the UAE as “overly sensitive.” It also presents cases of what it deems unusual or unwarranted arrests of visitors to the country, observing that the new law could entrap people from environments that are more accommodative if they carry over their culture to the UAE.

The Khaleej Times also reports the issue but the approach is perceptibly different. Vicky Kapur, the author of the article, opens with the subheading that misusing an emoji may land one in court. Similar to the preceding article, Kapur touches on the landmark case in this regard, whereby a worker was arraigned in court for using the fox emoji that the recipient found offensive. The author offers perspectives that both the law is prone to abuse by vindictive citizens. However, it also emphasizes that emojis are may also be insulting or otherwise unwanted. Notably, The Khaleej Times is pro-establishment, being the oldest English newspaper in the nation, started with the government’s support.

Several emojis are highlighted in the news article, and they will form the basis for analysis herein. The first one is the eggplant emoji, depicted in image 1 below. It is popular in western culture, as signified by its use as the metaphor for potentially offensive emojis in the article in The New Arabian. On the surface, it is a vegetable, but contextually it could represent male genitalia.

Image 1: Eggplant emoji

Kapur also cites the pig emoji (image 2 below) as being insulting. Depending on the context, this could simply represent an animal, or to insult the recipient.

Image 2: Pig Emoji

Another example is the knife emoji, such as image 3 below. On the surface it is a utensil, but it could also express a threat to use one as a weapon to harm the recipient.

Image 3: Knife Emoji

The heart emoji may seem as an affectionate expression of love, especially the red one, as seen in image 4 below. However, it could be interpreted as a message of harassment.

Image 4: Red Heart Emoji

Analysis

One of the stand out points from the data above is the role of perception in listening to gestures, as represented by emojis. In the reporting on the new UAE laws, the authors take discernibly different positions. The New Arabian openly disapproves the new laws, associating them with excess sensitivity, which is undesirable. This could be attributable to a more open approach to affairs, as the publication is fairly new and open to the liberal use of emojis. Conversely, The Khaleej Times is closely tied to the culture of the UAE, which is conservative, and the same reflects in the approach to writing the article. Kapur is therefore more sympathetic to the stringent regulation of expression; he possibly understands why some of the emojis would be so evocative as to warrant prosecution. This hacks back to the claim by Scafer that the environment within which one grows up affects their listening (3). In this case, the environment is the culture, which affects how one “listens to” (Rice 99) the emojis and derives meaning from them. In comparison The New Arabian describes the plight of natives of the more liberal West, who do not fathom the offense in such “inane” things as emojis. Clearly, one’s defining culture defines how they listen to gestures in computer mediated communication.

It is imperative to delve deeper in these cultural influences and understand the mechanism of the interpretation of the meaning of emojis. The eggplant emoji, for instance, is a vegetable. However, it has gained a universal meaning whereby it represents male genitalia in conversation (iemoji.com). Clearly, there is no literal link between male genitalia and the plant, yet they are relatable in popular culture. Notably, one would only be offensive if they use the emoji in ambiguous or sexual context, otherwise it would be clear when it is intended in its literal sense. In the same vein, the use of the pig emoji on its own only represents a pig, which without context bears little conversational value. However, in a conversation revolving around say, Islam, where pork is prohibited; or weight, where the plus sized people are stereotypically and offensively likened to pigs due to the fat in pork, there is little left to offend the recipient. Evidently, context is vital for the interpretation of emojis. The context, while texting, can only come from verbal explanation to set the course of the conversation. This ties into the MRT, which dictates that different media of communication have varying capacities to improve understanding in communication. Evidently, emojis –on their own- are limited in the said ability.

The guides for the interpretation of emojis is a pertinent aspect of this discussion, as it has implications in such cases as represent “the emoji scandal” in the UAE. The answer to what determines the action that the recipient of emojis takes is dependent on the feeling that it evokes in them. For instance, a knife emoji is only representative of a kitchen utensil with no social influence. Therefore, the meaning of such an emoji depends on the relationship between the communicating parties. If there are “bad vibes” already established in the relationship, for instance a disagreement between a couple, sending a knife emoji would lead result in fear and anxiety as explained by Goodman (66). In such a case, the party may feel threatened and, therefore, have grounds to sue the sender of the emoji. In the same vein, the red heart emoji is only representative of affection. Therefore, the perception that the recipient of the emoji has of the sender is the sole determinant of their interpretation of the same. For example, an expression of affection is common among people in relationships. However, if one’s advances towards a potential partner have been rejected, sending such an emoji is expression of unwanted attention and affection. Therefore, such a party may be sued for harassment.

A salient theme in the foregoing discussion is the centrality of perception in listening to emoji as gestures. Understanding the responsibility herein requires an exploration of the role of emotion. According to Brennan, emotion is a physiological change that one undergoes as they seek to orient themselves towards and ‘other,’ based on their assessment of the latter as either positive or negative (5). In this respect, one determines their interpretation of an emoji’s meaning based on their affects. This is where the first loophole of emojis is cemented. The SIPT states that the substitutability of face to face communication into the elements of computer mediated communication (Walther and D’Addario 324). Here, an emoji can only be part of the elements substituting verbal communication, which makes it incomplete as a medium of communication. For instance, a face to face encounter would facilitate transmission of affect as explained by Brennan (5). Therefore, they would know if the communicator is angry and, therefore, threatening. They cannot do this using a knife or heart emoji. As such, an emoji falls victim to interpretational bias without clear context. In line with the SIPT, then, emojis are not ideally accurate or effective in capturing messages, relative to face to face communication. In this view, then, there exists a great possibility of one being wrongfully prosecuted or convicted under the new laws of the UAE.

Conclusion

The foregoing discussion has demonstrated the changing environment for communication. With the emergence of computers, there are new opportunities to improve communication over distances, including the incorporation of gestures in the form of emojis. Emojis have proven a considerable leap forward in computer mediated communication. The study has established that, to listen effectively to emojis, they must consider the cultural context of communication. Moreover, the context of the communication must be considered, as it determines the perception and, hence, interpretations of the emojis. However, under the framework of the SIPT and MRT, emojis have come up short in effectiveness and accuracy as an independent medium o

f communication. They are most effective when used in conjunction with verbal communication for context. In this view, prosecuting people based on emojis alone will disadvantage those that lack the cultural background of the UAE and leaves even more people vulnerable to misinterpretations, hence, wrongful prosecution or conviction.

Works cited

Al Khaimah, Ras. “Using Emojis in UAE Can Land You in Court.” Khaleej Times. Accessed from https://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/ras-al-khaimah/using-emojis-in-uae-can-land-you-in-court

Anon. “No Eggplants, Please: UAE Criminalizes ‘Rude Emojis’.” The New Arabian. Accessed from https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2019/4/10/no-eggplants-please-uae-criminalises-rude-emojis

Brennan, Teresa. 2004. Transmission of Affect.  Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press.

Cable, Daniel M., and Kang Yang Trevor Yu. “Managing job seekers’ organizational image beliefs: The role of media richness and media credibility.” Journal of applied psychology 91.4 (2006): 828.

Goodman, Steve. 2010. Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect and the Ecology of Fear. Cambridge, Ma: MIT Press.

Iemoji.com. “Eggplant.” Acccessed from https://www.iemoji.com/view/emoji/456/food-drink/eggplant

Kapur, Vicky. “That Is No Smiley: A Wrong Emoji Can Land You in Court.” Khaleej Times, 11 Apr. 2019, www.khaleejtimes.com/editorials-columns/that-is-no-smiley-a-wrong-emoji-can-land-you-in-court-

Kassabian, Anahid. 2013. Ubiquitous Listening: Affect, Attention, and Distributed Subjectivity. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.

Rice, Tom. “Listening.” In Keywords in Sound. Edited by Novak, David and Matt Sakakeeny. .Durham: Duke University Press. 2015. Pp 99 – 112.

Tandyonomanu, D. and Tsuroyya. “Emoji: Representations of Nonverbal Symbols in Communication Technology.” IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. Vol. 288. No. 1. IOP Publishing, 2018.

Walther, Joseph B., and Kyle P. D’Addario. “The impacts of emoticons on message interpretation in computer-mediated communication.” Social science computer review 19.3 (2001): 324-347.