Book announced at https://linguistlist.org/issues/36-421

Title: Emoji Speak
Subtitle: Communication and Behaviours on Social Media
Publication Year: 2023

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
http://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/
Book URL: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/emoji-speak-9781350371507/

Author(s): Jieun Kiaer

Reviewer: Jean Danic

SUMMARY

Chapter 1

The first chapter serves as the book’s introduction and begins by expounding upon the evolution of the use of emojis in our everyday lives and the importance they have now in our communication. The author also discusses the varying meanings any single emoji might have depending on the age, culture, or technological savviness of its user. She also posits the question of whether the instant gratification and increase in response time expected in the modern era, in part due to the use of emojis, is a good thing, and she states that this is just one of the many questions explored by the book. The author states that the overall purpose of this text is to explore this new field of emoji linguistics and to show readers its significance. What follows is a chapter-by-chapter summary of what will be discussed.

Chapter 2

The second chapter is titled, “Emoji Speak.” In this chapter, emojis are defined, and their origins are explained. The author explores the many meanings of the word ‘emoji’ and all of the things that could constitute one, more than just the small faces we generally think of when picturing an emoji. The use of ‘emoji’ as a verb is proposed as a necessary addition to verbs like ‘text’ as ‘emoji speak,’ a term coined by the author, has become quintessential, particularly on smart phone screens. The chapter delves into emoji speech by discussing its complexities, cultural differences, and unifying nature. Another term, ‘emoji native’ is coined, and the differences in those who grew up using emojis and those who did not are compared, as emoji speak seems to begin with the youth and those who have the most access to technology. The next section delves into the differences in tone that various emojis can add to a standard message, and the last few sections of this chapter define emoticons, emojis, stickers, image macros and memes, and GIFs, all of which are encompassed by the term ‘emoji’ as used in the remainder of the book.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3, “Emoji Evolution,” points out that while this is not the first linguistic text to analyze emojis, this mode of communication changes quickly, and older books rapidly become outdated. Smartphone sizes and updates, character limits, new platforms, and other changes force communication to change too. Snapchat specifically has altered the way certain emojis are used and perceived. The chapter also discusses the many ways spaces online and offline are now connected, and how those lines sometimes become blurred (one example used is online shopping). The author explores the myriad ways that smartphone technology and app-usage have evolved and how emojis themselves have meanings which can vary so widely and change so quickly that they can be hard to define. The chapter has sections which discuss the making of emojis, how they acquire meanings, and how they go in and out of vogue. This transitions to the topic of internet users creating avatars to represent themselves and the ethics of the identities presented by internet users, particularly based on chosen avatars. Avatars can also be playful and valuable to their users, as found in a study cited in this chapter. They can additionally be used to conceal popular online personas’ identities, as exemplified by ‘vtubers.’ Briefly, the phenomenon of ‘soundmojis’ is discussed. In the end, the author posits that even immediately after this book’s publication, there will be new developments in the world of emojis.

Chapter 4

The fourth chapter is called, “Emojiing: How and Why?” This chapter begins by explaining the overall purpose of emojis, which seems to be to express things words alone cannot and to make our communication more efficient. The author coins the ‘three S’s’ in this chapter, which include speed, style, and solidarity. Simply put, emojis help us communicate more quickly, they help us express our own personal styles, and they can help us bond with one another. The chapter also describes the multilingual nature of emojis, and how translanguaging can easily occur given the freedom that smartphone users have when expressing themselves through text. Even color can add shades of meaning when communicating via emoji. Additionally, the chapter discusses the ways in which each person creates their own emoji idiolect based on their identities and the groups to which they belong. Differences in emoji competence, particularly between generations, are also explored as they can lead to some misunderstandings. Punctuation is part of this conversation too, given that traditional punctuation is often abandoned in smartphone exchanges, but its inclusion or lack thereof can convey varying shades of meaning. Emojis or punctuation symbols can be gap fillers as well, and the ways they soften tone, particularly the Korean ‘squiggle,’ are explored. In the end, the chapter posits that the use of emojis fills an important function for meaning.

Chapter 5

Chapter 5, “Emoji Diversity,” delineates all of the different types of emojis which exist as well as how some of them came to be and are now used. The etymology of ‘emoji’ from its Japanese origin is explained, and the Unicode Consortium, along with how it chooses which emojis to incorporate, is also explained in-depth. A major point within this section of the chapter is the cultural diversity of the available emojis, and even more important the lack of such diversity. The chapter also discusses representation of different genders and races through the use of varying emojis and how different platforms’ designs can promote diversity or even unintentionally promote problematic stereotypes or separation rather than unity. Customizable emojis may solve some of these issues. The latter part of the chapter deals with the diversity of emojis available in China specifically, including on WeChat and other platforms. There can also be different cultural interpretations of common emojis with the potential for misunderstandings between the user and receiver. Overall, emoji meanings and usage are not universal, and more study is needed to understand one another better and provide better diversity of representation.

Chapter 6

This chapter is called, “Emoji Power,” and it covers the impact that a simple emoji can have. The author points to specific real-world instances in which an emoji carried enough weight to have serious effects in political and social circumstances. Emoji use in advertising and journalism as well as statistics including their effects on consumer engagement are cited. Emojis have proven powerful in social protests or in the promotion of social causes too, causing them to be censored or banned in certain circumstances as relayed by the author. Additionally, court cases in which emojis have been crucial aspects of the case are described, again showing the real power these symbols can have beyond their digital contexts. In general, all examples provided throughout this chapter serve the purpose of demonstrating how impactful emojis can be.

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is titled, “Emoji Emoticons.” This chapter explores the range of emotions expressed by emojis, the depth of emotions that may be lacking, whether condensing complex emotions into a symbol is actually a good thing, and how this might affect the real emotions of both children and adults. Emojis function as reactions, for one, allowing us to react to a given piece of news or information in record time, but the reaction of just an emoji may be too simplistic. They also function as tone indicators or softeners. Regardless of their many useful functions, the author wonders in this chapter whether they can really express complex emotions and whether they are actually making us more efficient versus stunting our actual emotional depth. There are also problems in the way that different people may perceive the same emoji differently depending on their own cultural background or even just the emoji’s design on the platform they are using. Children’s usage of smartphones and emojis is also discussed, with possible benefits as well as drawbacks explained. The last section of the chapter before its summary explores Asian emojis, specifically their personified character emojis.

Chapter 8

This chapter, “Emoji Sensitivity,” centers mainly on the need for awareness in using emojis and consideration for how they will be interpreted by the receiver. People from different cultural backgrounds, for example, may use and interpret specific emojis differently from others. This extends to the workplace as well, and while Westerners tend to use emojis far less in the workplace, this is not true in places like China and Korea. Emojis may be seen as adding to or detracting from politeness as well. The chapter then delves into how age, hierarchy, and levels of personal intimacy matter when choosing which emojis are appropriate to send. Gender is another factor which plays a role here, and the author discusses how the two genders use emojis for different functions and have somewhat different attitudes regarding their overall use. The use of emojis from one gender to another is also complex as users typically want to avoid misunderstandings of romantic intent. Korean, Jordanian, and French cases of related phenomena are explored. In the next part of the chapter, the author discusses how the emoji users' individual style and identity matters, as well as who they are speaking to and whether it is another individual or a group. The last section before the chapter summary is about cross-cultural sensitivity and how emojis certainly do not have universal meanings, even for a symbol as simple as a smiley face. Overall, emoji meanings are never static and are always changing depending on a wide variety of factors.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is called, ‘Emoji Stylistics,’ and in this chapter, the author examines exactly that. Essentially, she is using this term to describe how emoji users tailor the use of these symbols to suit their needs and the specific contexts in which they use them. Korean speakers, as she notes, must be particularly careful due to the hierarchical nature of their society. Examples of these intricacies are cited, even including punctuation marks. Emojis also function as tone indicators, and the use specifically of the newer invention, tone tags, is discussed. One section of the chapter explains the stickers on WeChat, a hugely popular messaging platform in China. These stickers are creative and customizable, and users curate their own collections of them. The chapter next delves into emojis as generational emblems, symbols of specific subcultural groups, and badges representing fandom. Specifically, fans of the Korean pop bands BTS and EXO use specific emojis, creating unity and in-group status. Similarly, emojis can be shared as jokes representing knowledge shared only by members of a particular group or fandom, and the examples used in this chapter are anime and vtuber fandoms.

Chapter 10

The final chapter is “Vision for the Future,” and this one begins by drawing a parallel between the new type of speech created in George Orwell’s 1984 and the new type of speech we now experience with the addition of emojis to our communication. Both include methods for simplifying language and grammar. This last chapter reiterates the idea that emoji speak is a whole new linguistic category and not some passing trend. Its future is uncertain, and will require more study as emoji use evolves, which it certainly will. Its full implications are unknown, but wide ranging. The pandemic is also cited as a game changer in the way we have flocked to online communication tools which almost all include emojis. The author restates her purpose in writing this book, which is essentially to advocate for emoji linguistics to have its own space in the field and inspire others to be curious and conduct further research on this growing and important subfield.

EVALUATION

Overall, the book, “Emoji Speak,” by Jieun Kiaer, is a valuable addition to the literature available on this new topic of emoji linguistics. She accomplishes her goal of stressing the importance of emojis as communication tools and the idea that these are much more than just a passing fad. She cites a wide variety of studies and examples to support these ideas, and her arguments about the uniqueness and complexities of emojis are persuasive and well-supported.

The author also discusses cultural implications and the issues of representation in emojis. There are many examples in the book of the ways in which emoji use and interpretation can vary widely depending on who is sending or receiving the message. These are excellent points, and they are explained well, with the only disappointing aspect being the small number of cultures and countries discussed. There is a lot of American and Asian representation in the book, but not many examples of others, though there are some. However, this book does open the door for a future text covering emoji use all over the world in more depth.

Additionally, the author herself admits that this is a rapidly changing field--such is the nature of technology--so much more research and support for emoji linguistics will be needed. I think she makes compelling arguments that this will be a valuable pursuit, as understanding communication now includes online and smartphone communication, including emojis.

The book is also well-organized, broken into ten short chapters, each containing titled subsections. This makes it easy to follow, and the reader can clearly understand how each smaller piece fits into the bigger picture of the chapter and text.

The audience for this book is mainly linguists, but it is extremely approachable to readers outside the field as well. The book’s language is often formal, but conversational, and anyone can understand and find value in it. The fact that it includes pop culture references and modern day political and social concerns makes it even more relatable to just about anyone seeking to read it and learn more about ‘emoji speak.’ Overall, it is an informative and interesting text providing some new information, compelling arguments for the further study of emojis, and ideas for the future of this new field.

REFERENCES

Emoji Speak, by Jieun Kiaer

ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Jean Danic is an English for Academic Purposes Instructor at Hillsborough Community College. She enjoys keeping herself up to date on the latest linguistics research and using it to continuously refine her teaching practices for her second language learners.