Graphicons and Computer-Mediated Communication: Applications and Functions of Emojis, Emoticons, and Stickers in Text-Based Interactions and Mobile Messaging Apps Across Cultural Contexts

Document Type : researcher

Author
Hossein Hassani
Assistant Professor of Cyberspace Studies, RICAC
10.22034/scm.2024.437580.1723
Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to systematically review the studies on the role of emojis in instant messaging apps. The most critical weakness of CMCs is the impossibility of exchanging non-verbal cues, which can prevent the transmission of emotions. One of the functions of graphicons is to act as a substitute for some nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and emotions. In the article, the use, functions, effects, and factors affecting the application of these communication elements in mobile textual communication from 2010 to 2023 are studied using the meta-synthesis method. After the initial search, 152 articles were collected from valid databases, and finally, after the screening, 51 articles were analyzed based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria defined in the research goal. This study showed that emojis are currently the main element of non-verbal communication in mobile messaging apps. Age, gender, and cultural and technological context also play an essential role in the use and interpretation of the meaning of emojis. Overall, this study showed that emojis have found new and distinct functions in interpersonal communication that go beyond compensating for the lack of nonverbal communication cues.

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Society Culture Media
Volume 13, Issue 51
Summer 2024
Pages 249-274

  • Receive Date 10 July 2023
  • Revise Date 10 August 2023
  • Accept Date 25 January 2024