Diversity

I got this message from my wife today.

 

Mmmmm..........what have I done? I'm sure I emptied the dishwasher this morning. 

 

Maybe I didn't. This doesn't look good. Where's the nearest garage? Some emergency flowers may be in order.

 

Hang on a minute! Forget the garage this calls for a trip to Tesco's for a flower upgrade and maybe a bottle of Pinot Grigio as well!

 

Emojis or emotional icons can add meaning and depth to plain text. Starting as a craze among Japanese teenagers they are now used widely around the world. Emojis can set the tone of a message and help convey the intentions of the sender. They are also in picture form which means they can be understood even if the texters don't speak the same language. 

 

The development of new emoji is not without controversy though. The introduction of characters of different colours and racial backgrounds gives the texter a decision to make, 'how do I want to portray myself in this message'. It can give rise to complaints of racial stereotyping and be misappropriated by people wanting to make political or racist comments.

 

As for me, I'll happily stick with the traditional round yellow face as my emoji of choice. I don't need to be reminded of the fact that I am a white middle aged man by seeing my emoji in every text message I send!