- Question
Have emojis changed the world?
In just two decades, emoji has become ‘the fastest growing language in history’. But are there more complex implications to their popularity? With more than 92% of internet users now using emojis, and billions used every day, do the simple digital pictograms have wider implications for society, relationships and even the way we're hardwired?
Yes, emojis have transformed human relationships.
This position holds that emojis have transformed human relationships. It argues emojis have changed how people perceive and respond to each other—forming new brain patterns to decode meaning, prompting subconscious judgements of others, and shaping the emotional range of communication.
No, the impact of emojis is exaggerated.
The growth in emoji use is part of the much more transformative digital revolution. Emojis are impactful insofar as they enhance (or diminish) existing forms of communication. However, they have no revolutionary impact in and of themselves.
No, the impact of emojis is limited to communication.
This position holds that the impact of emojis is limited to communication itself. It argues emojis are simply non-verbal cues that shape how people express themselves online, and may even have lowered literacy levels—but that their influence stops there, with no deeper social change.
Yes, emojis have far-reaching social implications.
This position holds that emojis have far-reaching social consequences. It argues they are now so woven into communication that they shape everything from business strategy to courtroom evidence — even creating a new axis of power within the Unicode Consortium that decides which emojis exist.