Emojis: The New Hieroglyphics

Not since the Egyptians developed hieroglyphics to visually communicate and document for all ages to come the importance of their pharaohs, sun gods, and conquests have human beings used symbols to stand in place of fully expressed sentences. Say hello to the emoji.

If you haven’t seen an emoji, that’s because you are not using iPhone texting, Twitter, Instagram, or similar 21st Century methodologies for expressing yourself to other humans by way of an electronic device. If you still don’t know what an emoji is, do yourself a senior citizen favor: ask someone born after 1990. I’m not brilliant. I just have lots of grandchildren.

An emoji is a symbol that can represent nouns, verbs, emotions or in some cases, events and entire paragraphs of thought. Not only do you not have to use your voice any longer, you don’t even need to use the written word.

Emojis coupled with single letters that stand in place of whole words can and do eliminate the use of language all together – OMG, if you know what I mean. That a communiqué full of emojis intended to express emotion lacks the power and soul of the human voice is apparently beside the point; modern humans just want to hurry up and move on before the latte gets cold.

The human voice along with written words has been replaced by texting, and to facilitate effortless texting, symbols and singular letters are employed. It has become so prevalent that schools seldom teach cursive writing and most lessons require students – even tender tiny tots – to use a keyboard and screen.

There is a small but growing concern that use of electronics known as ‘screen time’ is changing the way the human brain develops. Some parents are electing to decrease the amount of time their child uses an electronic device. However, try and wrestle an iPhone from a pre-teen and see what happens. LOL!!

Scientists now believe that the human brain doesn’t retain information as well when typing, AKA keying, versus writing in longhand. Some colleges and university classes no longer allow the use of laptops when students attend lectures. WTF – they have to take written notes.

Which brings me to the point of this article: while speed and lust for speed continue to accelerate like matter being sucked into a black hole, language is changing.

The rise of the emoji, like the death of Latin, was bound to happen. All living matter evolves, be that good or otherwise. So on the one hand, people who traditionally speak different languages will be able to recognize an image and instantly understand one another. A heart, smiley face, lush lips and a diamond, after all, can only mean one thing I’m sure. On the other hand, there will be consequences.

For instance, what if someone living in the Amazon (jungle, not Amazon.com) sends a message to the prime minister of England intended to convey a desire to establish trade negotiations but somehow a poison dart gun emoji is used instead of a cargo ship? As far-fetched as the scenario is, that is a typo that could have grave consequences.

Wouldn’t it be better to continue the use of written and spoken languages for the sake of all humankind? Let’s not put translators out of a job.

Common Core educational methods seem to direct a return to the written language arts, skills our children will need when they compete on the international stages of life. In spite of that, academic testing of our children is done via the use of computers, not paper and pencil. How can that possibly make sense? And if school systems and government entities require data to study algorithms for funding purposes, what’s wrong with the old way, you know, counting 1, 2, 3, 4?

I do admit that for the last two decades, most of my writing has been done via a keyboard and screen. But I use longhand all the time. Maybe I should be embarrassed to say I still use pen and paper, I still make telephone calls, I still wave to my neighbors. (GMAB)

It really is getting out of hand.

The other day I received this text “R U HOME.” It was from my husband. He was in the backyard. I was in the kitchen.

I responded “NO” and added a dollar sign emoji and a smiley face indicating I was out spending money. A few minutes later, I went into the yard to find him. He asked, “What did you buy?” I walked away while sending him a text with a new car emoji. The look on his face was priceless. LMAO!

This Mattapoisett Life

By Marilou Newell

 

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