Emoticons - history
Today we celebrate Emoticon Day (not “emoticon” or “emoticons”, the only correct form here is the masculine gender).👨 This is a non-coincidental date, and the anniversary of a certain event.
On September 19, 1982 at exactly 11:44 a.m., most likely, the popular “smiley face” was used for the first time 🙂Scott Fahlman, a computer scientist at Carniege Mellon University in Pittsburgh, wrote a message on the university’s internal network in which he proposed that a joke in an Internet message be marked with the following string of characters : - ) In the same message, he also suggested : - ( to indicate the seriousness of the message.
Today such an emoticon is considered archaic, although a much more popular one is disliked by the creator of the first emoticon, who claims that an emoticon without a nose looks like a frog…🐸
😀 😁 😂 🤣 😃 😄 😅 😆 😉 😊 😋 😎 😍 😘 😗 😙 😚 ☺️ 🙂 🤗 🤩 🤔 🤨 😐 😑 😶 🙄 😏 😣 😥 😮 🤐 😯 😪 😫 😴 😌 😛 😜 😝 🤤 😒 😓 😔 😕 🙃 🤑 😲 ☹️ 🙁 😖 😞 😟 😤 😢 😭 😦 😧 😨 😩 🤯 😬 😰 😱 😳 🤪 😵 😡 😠 🤬 😷 🤒 🤕 🤢 🤮 🤧 😇 🤠 🤡 🤥 🤫 🤭 🧐 🤓 😈 👿 👹 👺 💀 👻 👽 🤖 💩 😺 😸 😹 😻 😼 😽 🙀 😿 😾
👶 👧 🧒 👦 👩 🧑 👨 👵 🧓 👴 👲 👳♀️ 👳♂️ 🧕 🧔 👱♂️ 👱♀️ 👮♀️ 👮♂️ 👷♀️ 👷♂️ 💂♀️ 💂♂️ 🕵️♀️ 🕵️♂️ 👩⚕️ 👨⚕️ 👩🌾 👨🌾 👩🍳 👨🍳 👩🎓 👨🎓 👩🎤 👨🎤 👩🏫 👨🏫 👩🏭 👨🏭 👩💻 👨💻 👩💼 👨💼 👩🔧 👨🔧 👩🔬 👨🔬 👩🎨 👨🎨 👩🚒 👨🚒 👩✈️ 👨✈️ 👩🚀 👨🚀 👩⚖️ 👨⚖️ 👰 🤵 👸 🤴 🤶 🎅 🧙♀️ 🧙♂️ 🧝♀️ 🧝♂️ 🧛♀️ 🧛♂️ 🧟♀️ 🧟♂️ 🧞♀️ 🧞♂️ 🧜♀️ 🧜♂️ 🧚♀️ 🧚♂️ 👼 🤰 🤱 🙇♀️ 🙇♂️ 💁♀️ 💁♂️ 🙅♀️ 🙅♂️ 🙆♀️ 🙆♂️ 🙋♀️ 🙋♂️ 🤦♀️ 🤦♂️ 🤷♀️ 🤷♂️ 🙎♀️ 🙎♂️ 🙍♀️ 🙍♂️ 💇♀️ 💇♂️ 💆♀️ 💆♂️ 🧖♀️ 🧖♂️ 💅 🤳 💃 🕺 👯♂️ 👯♀️ 👯 🕴 🚶♀️ 🚶♂️ 🏃♀️ 🏃♂️ 👫 👭 👬 💑 👩❤️👩 👨❤️👨 💏 👩❤️💋👩 👨❤️💋👨 👪 👨👩👧 👨👩👧👦 👨👩👦👦 👨👩👧👧 👩👩👦 👩👩👧 👩👩👧👦 👩👩👦👦 👩👩👧👧 👨👨👦 👨👨👧 👨👨👧👦 👨👨👦👦 👨👨👧👧 👩👦 👩👧 👩👧👦 👩👦👦 👩👧👧 👨👦 👨👧 👨👧👦 👨👦👦 👨👧👧 🤲 👐 🙌 👏 🤝 👍 👎 👊 ✊ 🤛 🤜 🤞 ✌️ 🤟 🤘 👌 👈 👉 👆 👇 ☝️ ✋ 🤚 🖐 🖖 👋 🤙 💪 🖕 ✍️ 🙏 💍 💄 💋 👄 👅 👂 👃 👣 👁 👀 🧠 🗣 👤 👥 🫂
🐶 🐱 🐭 🐹 🐰 🦊 🐻 🐼 🐨 🐯 🦁 🐮 🐷 🐽 🐸 🐵 🙈 🙉 🙊 🐒 🐔 🐧 🐦 🐤 🐣 🐥 🦆 🦅 🦉 🦇 🐺 🐗 🐴 🦄 🐝 🐛 🦋 🐌 🐚 🐞 🐜 🦗 🕷 🕸 🦂 🐢 🐍 🦎 🦖 🦕 🐙 🦑 🦐 🦀 🐡 🐠 🐟 🐬 🐳 🐋 🦈 🐊 🐅 🐆 🦓 🦍 🐘 🦏 🐪 🐫 🦒 🐃 🐂 🐄 🐎 🐖 🐏 🐑 🐐 🦌 🐕 🐩 🐈 🐓 🦃 🕊 🐇 🐁 🐀 🐿 🦔 🐾 🐉 🐲
🌵 🎄 🌲 🌳 🌴 🌱 🌿 ☘️ 🍀 🎍 🎋 🍃 🍂 🍁 🍄 🌾 💐 🌷 🌹 🥀 🌺 🌸 🌼 🌻 🌞 🌝 🌛 🌜 🌚 🌕 🌖 🌗 🌘 🌑 🌒 🌔 🌙 🌎 🌍 🌏 💫 ⭐️ 🌟 ✨ ⚡️ ☄️ 💥 🔥 🌪 🌈 ☀️ 🌤 ⛅️ 🌥 ☁️ 🌦 🌧 ⛈ 🌩 🌨 ❄️ ☃️ ⛄️ 🌬 💨 💧 💦 ☔️ ☂️ 🌊 🌫
🍏 🍎 🍐 🍊 🍋 🍌 🍉 🍇 🍓 🍈 🍒 🍑 🍍 🥥 🥝 🍅 🍆 🥑 🥦 🥒 🌶 🌽 🥕 🥔 🍠 🥐 🍞 🥖 🥨 🧀 🥚 🍳 🥞 🥓 🥩 🍗 🍖 🌭 🍔 🍟 🍕 🥪 🥙 🌮 🌯 🥗 🥘 🥫 🍝 🍜 🍲 🍛 🍣 🍱 🥟 🍤 🍙 🍚 🍘 🍥 🥠 🍢 🍡 🍧 🍨 🍦 🥧 🍰 🎂 🍮 🍭 🍬 🍫 🍿 🍩 🍪 🌰 🥜 🍯 🥄 🍴 🍽 🥣 🥡 🥢 🥛 🍼 ☕️ 🍵 🥤 🍶 🍺 🍻 🥂 🍷 🥃 🍸 🍹 🍾
⚽️ 🏀 🏈 ⚾️ 🏐 🏉 🎱 🏓 🏸 🥅 🏒 🏑 🏏 ⛳️ 🏹 🎣 🥊 🥋 🎽 ⛸ 🥌 🛷 🎿 ⛷ 🏂 🏋️♀️ 🏋️♂️ 🤼♀️ 🤼♂️ 🤸♀️ 🤸♂️ ⛹️♀️ ⛹️♂️ 🤺 🤾♀️ 🤾♂️ 🏌️♀️ 🏌️♂️ 🏇 🧘♀️ 🧘♂️ 🏄♀️ 🏄♂️ 🏊♀️ 🏊♂️ 🤽♀️ 🤽♂️ 🚣🏻♀️ 🚣🏻♂️ 🧗♀️ 🧗♂️ 🚵♀️ 🚵♂️ 🚴♀️ 🚴♂️ 🏆 🥇 🥈 🥉 🏅 🎖 🏵 🎗 🎫 🎟 🎪 🤹♀️ 🤹♂️ 🎭 🎨 🎬 🎤 🎧 🎼 🎹 🥁 🎷 🎺 🎸 🎻 🎲 🎯 🎳 🎮 🎰
🚗 🚕 🚙 🚌 🚎 🏎 🚓 🚑 🚒 🚐 🚚 🚛 🚜 🛴 🚲 🛵 🏍 🚨 🚔 🚍 🚘 🚖 🚡 🚠 🚟 🚃 🚋 🚞 🚝 🚄 🚅 🚈 🚂 🚆 🚇 🚊 🚉 ✈️ 🛫 🛬 🛩 💺 🛰 🚀 🛸 🚁 🛶 ⛵️ 🚤 🛥 🛳 ⛴ 🚢 ⚓️ ⛽️ 🚧 🚦 🚥 🚏 🗺 🗿 🗽 🗼 🏰 🏯 🏟 🎡 🎢 🎠 ⛲️ ⛱ 🏖 🏝 🏜 🌋 ⛰ 🏔 🗻 🏕 ⛺️ 🏠 🏡 🏘 🏚 🏗 🏭 🏢 🏬 🏣 🏤 🏥 🏦 🏨 🏪 🏫 🏩 💒 🏛 ⛪️ 🕌 🕍 🕋 ⛩ 🛤 🛣 🗾 🎑 🏞 🌅 🌄 🌠 🎇 🎆 🌇 🌆 🏙 🌃 🌌 🌉 🌁
⌚️ 📱 📲 💻 ⌨️ 🖥 🖨 🖱 🖲 🕹 🗜 💽 💾 💿 📀 📼 📷 📸 📹 🎥 📽 🎞 📞 ☎️ 📟 📠 📺 📻 🎙 🎚 🎛 ⏱ ⏲ ⏰ 🕰 ⌛️ ⏳ 📡 🔋 🔌 💡 🔦 🕯 🗑 🛢 💸 💵 💴 💶 💷 💰 💳 💎 ⚖️ 🔧 🔨 ⚒️ 🛠 ⛏ 🔩 ⚙️ ⛓ 🔫 💣 🔪 🗡 ⚔️ 🛡 🚬 ⚰️ ⚱️ 🏺 🔮 📿 💈 ⚗️ 🔭 🔬 🕳 💊 💉 🌡 🚽 🚰 🚿 🛁 🛀 🧴 🛎 🔑 🗝 🚪 🛋 🛏 🛌 🖼 🧥 👚 👕 👖 👔 👗 👙 👘 👠 👡 👢 👞 👟 🧦 🧤 🧣 🎩 🧢 👒 🎓 ⛑ 👑 👝 👛 👜 💼 🎒 👓 🕶 🌂 🛍 🛒 🎁 🎈 🎏 🎀 🎊 🎉 🎎 🏮 🎐 ✉️ 📩 📨 📧 💌 📥 📤 📦 🏷 📪 📫 📬 📭 📮 📯 📜 📃 📄 📑 📊 📈 📉 🗒 🗓 📆 📅 📇 🗃 🗳 🗄 📋 📁 📂 🗂 🗞 📰 📓 📔 📒 📕 📗 📘 📙 📚 📖 🔖 🔗 📎 🖇 📐 📏 📌 📍 ✂️ 🖊 🖋 ✒️ 🖌 🖍 📝 ✏️ 🔍 🔎 🔏 🔐 🔒 🔓
❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 🖤 💔 ❣️ 💕 💞 💓 💗 💖 💘 💝
💟 ☮️ ✝️ ☪️ 🕉 ☸️ ✡️ 🔯 🕎 ☯️ ☦️ 🛐 ⛎ ♈️ ♉️ ♊️ ♋️ ♌️ ♍️ ♎️ ♏️ ♐️ ♑️ ♒️ ♓️ 🆔 ⚛️ 🉑 ☢️ ☣️ 📴 📳 🈶 🈚️ 🈸 🈺 🈷️ ✴️ 🆚 💮 🉐 ㊙️ ㊗️ 🈴 🈵 🈹 🈲 🅰️ 🅱️ 🆎 🆑 🅾️ 🆘 ❌ ⭕️ 🛑 ⛔️ 📛 🚫 💯 💢 ♨️ 🚷 🚯 🚳 🚱 🔞 📵 🚭 ❗️ ❕ ❓ ❔ ‼️ ⁉️ 🔅 🔆 〽️ ⚠️ 🚸 🔱 ⚜️ 🔰 ♻️ ✅ 🈯️ 💹 ❇️ ✳️ ❎ 🌐 💠 Ⓜ️ 🌀 💤
🏧 🚾 ♿️ 🅿️ 🈳 🈂️ 🛂 🛃 🛄 🛅 🚹 🚺 🚼
🚻 🚮 🎦 📶 🈁 🔣 ℹ️ 🔤 🔡 🔠 🆖 🆗 🆙 🆒 🆕 🆓 0️⃣ 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ 4️⃣ 5️⃣ 6️⃣ 7️⃣ 8️⃣ 9️⃣ 🔟 🔢 #️⃣ *️⃣ ⏏️ ▶️ ⏸ ⏯ ⏹ ⏺ ⏭ ⏮ ⏩ ⏪ ⏫ ⏬ ◀️ 🔼 🔽 ➡️ ⬅️ ⬆️ ⬇️ ↗️ ↘️ ↙️ ↖️ ↕️ ↔️ ↪️ ↩️ ⤴️ ⤵️ 🔀 🔁 🔂 🔄 🔃 🎵 🎶 ➕ ➖ ➗ ✖️ 💲 💱 ™️ ©️ ®️ 〰️ ➰ ➿ 🔚 🔙 🔛 🔝 🔜 ✔️ ☑️ 🔘 ⚪️ ⚫️ 🔴 🔵 🔺 🔻 🔸 🔹 🔶 🔷 🔳 🔲 ▪️ ▫️ ◾️ ◽️ ◼️ ◻️ ⬛️ ⬜️ 🔈 🔇 🔉 🔊 🔔 🔕 📣 📢 👁🗨 💬 💭 🗯 ♠️ ♣️ ♥️ ♦️ 🃏 🎴 🀄️
🕐 🕑 🕒 🕓 🕔 🕕 🕖 🕗 🕘 🕙 🕚 🕛 🕜 🕝 🕞 🕟 🕠 🕡 🕢 🕣 🕤 🕥 🕦 🕧
The Japanese have shown how to express emotions.
The emoticon fan was not limited to two, denoting joy and sadness, clusters of characters. Soon more combinations were created to represent different emotions and more types of smiles 😀😆😊.
Further along in online expression went the Japanese, who created Kaomoji. They used a much richer palette of characters that made it possible to “write” much more complex network pictograms. Kaomoji was the next step in the evolution of ways to **express emotions on the web (>_<).
Japanese Kaomoji is still used today, but on the most fertile ground, i.e. in social media it has long been replaced by traditional emoticons. 😎
In the late 1990s, Japanese designer Shigetaki Kurita created a set of 176 microscopic 12×12 pixel pictograms called emoji for one of Japan’s cell phones. They were created to distinguish messages sent in function i-mode from others. Over the decade, the collection of pictograms grew, and in 2010 the characters appeared in a centralized database of Unicode characters, to be found finally on Facebook and other social networks.
While Emoji are admittedly different from the classic emotikon (the former are colorful small drawings, while the latter are pictograms created from characters), the word emoji has not yet entered the language too much, unlike the word “emoticon ”, which, after all, we also often call Japanese-derived small pictures. I hope you’ll forgive the interchangeable use of the two names. 🌇
Small, colorful images have firmly established themselves in our daily communication. Every day, more than 700 million emoji are used in facebook posts. In 2015, an icon called “Face with tears of joy ” was named Word of the Year by the Oxford Dictionary. In Poland, on the other hand, “XD ” was recognized, winning the Polish Language Dictionary’s poll for Youth Word of the Year 2017. Are you curious about how often emoticons are used in real time? Go HERE to see how many times a particular emoji has been used on Twitter. 😱 When you go to this subpage, the counter is zeroed out, then you can see how quickly the counts increase next to specific icons. ⬆️
In the service of clickability
Emoticons are by no means the domain of young people and do not accompany only informal, loose messages. The colorful icons are pouring out of social media in a wide stream, used by entertainment stars, athletes, journalists, writers and politicians. Is it just because emoticons have become so popular with everyone? Of course not. ⛔️
Barring exceptions, every person running a fanpage cares about the best possible reach and interactions. And these, as social media specialists agree, increase when we use emotions. ❤️
Posts containing colorful emoji become more friendly to readers, easier to the eye (our brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text) and as a result - better visible and more popular. The colorful icons fit perfectly into the trend that we are reading less and less text and looking at images more and more. As a result, it is likely that a user may not pay attention to our text, but his attention will be attracted by an emoticon, causing him to pause on what we have to say. 📑
It is precisely such “hooks” for the attention of users that the biggest brands, CEOs or famous public figures use. And not just on social media - push notifications (i.e., those that appear in the browser window when we allow it), as measured, thanks to the presence of emoji, can reach 4.94% click-through rate, while a notification without colorful icons has this rate at just over 3%. That’s almost a 65% increase, and for such a increase in the effectiveness of our message we’ll gladly add a few emoticons, even when we’re not too fond of them… 🤔
Now that we know that it’s worth it, we should still know how to use these colorful micro-pictures. How much to put them in a post? First of all, let’s exercise moderation - a post with more emoticons than words may seem, especially to older audiences, infantile. On the other hand, if we want to take advantage of the effects produced by the presence of emoji in our message, we should put at least a few of them. There are, of course, exceptions. It probably goes without saying that posts in which we care about seriousness or expressing grief or sadness should not contain emoticons. The exception in the other direction is a convention where we rely on emoji - for example. Budweiser a few years ago for the 4th of July posted emoticons that together form the US flag. At one time, puzzles based on colorful icons were very popular - for example, a smiley face with horns, a dress and a red heeled shoe signified the movie “The Devil Wears Prada”.😈
Does what emoticons we use matter? Of course!
Of course, we can’t be disrespectful to the recipient, which would be to post emoji completely unrelated to the content of the post, but on the Internet you can find both a list of the most popular images and those that are the most effective, i.e. best translate into an increase in interactions and reach. Especially the latter list is worth noting. If we can find icons that tie in with the theme of our post - great!👌.
One more important point is something seemingly obvious, but laid out by one of the most famous journalists in Poland. Let’s take a look at the emoticons we want to insert. We know that they are small and sometimes not very readable, but if we have to - let’s take a magnifying glass or at least have a good look. 🔎 Otherwise, we can heavily compromise ourselves. For example, in this way:
We wish you, instead of such mistakes, an increase in interaction, the best possible reach and the continued development of your social media. 🤣
And finally, an interesting fact. Did you know that using an emoji icon you can order a pizza on Twitter? With an account on the website of the global pizza chain Domino’s, you can create an order that will be fulfilled when you tag the pizzeria’s account on Twitter and add a pizza icon. 🍕