What is it about?
While it’s known that emojis can be used to express emotions, they can also serve other purposes in conversation, such as softening harsh statements or emphasizing feelings. However, until now, there hasn't been much research on how emojis perform these functions. This study fills that gap by looking at WhatsApp chats in Spanish. The research indicates that emojis are used in several ways: they can change the meaning of what’s being said, help signal when a conversation is ending, or create a playful tone. Additionally, the study finds that the way emojis are used can be influenced by Spanish cultural practices.
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Why is it important?
This paper is one of the first to analyze the role of emojis in everyday digital communication from a linguistic perspective. By examining how emojis function in conversations, the study deepens our understanding of how people use digital tools to manage social interactions. It also shows that emojis are not just emotional symbols but are part of how people structure their conversations, making this study a foundational piece in emoji research.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Emoji and rapport management in Spanish WhatsApp chats, Journal of Pragmatics, April 2019, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.009.
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