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Using Symbols to Show Emotion in Text

Smileys are used frequently to add emotion to the text we write today. Making a colon with a capital D : D makes a big smile to emphasis how we feel about the subject we are expressing. Semicolons are used for a wink ; and left parentheses for a frown ( or right parentheses for a smile ).

While smileys are made purely of text characters, emoticons are little yellow faces that can be loaded from smileyCentral. Both display emotions to enhance the message of the text.

Thanks to the use of text messaging on cell phones, instant messaging (IM) and message boards the use of smileys and emoticons for informal written communications has soared.

Since the rise of the internet and wireless digital telecommunication these forms of communication have taken prominence and often youth were the first to integrate these forms of communication in their lives. It is rare to find youth today who are ignorant of the usage and meaning of smileys.

The emotions displayed have evolved from just happiness and sadness to disbelief, anger, playfulness and surprise.

Emoticons are used more by females than males which may be attributed to females being more adept at using them and possibly to females being more in tune with the nuances of expressing emotions in text.

Those who criticize the use of emoticons as being detrimental to the depth of human communication do not address the benefits of using them for quicker messages with more intimate text messages.

The future of these symbols seems to have plateaued. All expressions possible using text characters seem to have been used up. Emoticons can display a wider range of emotions since they are not limited. The future of more nuanced symbols lies within message forums since their text messages are often longer and more detailed, thus requiring a wider range of symbols.

Article Source: http://www.a1-articledirectory.com

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