I second that emoticon
I’m not sure what it is about emoticons and acronyms that rub me the wrong way but it seems as if these amalgamations of characters are now becoming a necessity when sending text messages, emails or social media updates.
I recently sent a text message that was meant to be sarcastic and as always chose to omit the use of an emoticon. Well, in the place of hilarity an apology ensued…mine. The messages original intent was totally lost on the recipient. We live in a world where technology creates needs; I know I cringe every time I see someone break out a non-smart cellphone. Doesn’t that person need to check their Facebook timeline twenty times a day? In today’s 140 characters or less digital environment, brevity is king and the ability to express oneself in a concise manner is quickly becoming a prerequisite skillset. Yes, emoticons can hinder the severity of your content, but if used correctly, they inject personality and ensures against the dilution of the message's original intent.
As most of my friends will attest, I’m not the most masculine guy out there, I sew, bake and love my man purses like a fat kid likes cake, but something about putting a :) or an “lol” at the end of a statement makes me feel like I should be debating if I’m on team Jacob or Edward (let me not get into the whole laughing at your own joke thing). It may be hard to do but it seems as if I’m going to have to either embrace this new way of communicating or go the way of the dodo. We shall see. ;)
No comments yet