To Emoji or NOT to Emoji (UPDATED)

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To Emoji or NOT to Emoji

Those of you that are close to me know that I HATE, LOATHE, and DESPISE emojis. I can’t find a single moment in my life that can explain this, other than it might stem from my inner Sheldon Cooper.

It is impossible to share or experience emotion through text. However, facial expressions can change the context in which we read or perceive someone’s writing. Yes, a smiley face (no emoji included) gives a visual representation, but I don’t want to be associated with anything other than my smile or iSmile. I want the person reading to make a connection with me and not a stupid image.

As of January 1st, 2016 I approved the following emojis to be used: 🇺🇸 🍺 💜 👊🏼 . You will notice that other than the fist bump, none of then really express an emotion. For those of you that can express yourself with emojis, I am incredibly jealous. As I stated, I can barely express my own physical emotions at times. Kudos to you and emoji on.

Now to the sad truth about emojis in Social Media.

Top 3 Emoji Stats:

  • People who use emoji’s have more sex.
  • Emojis decrease negativity in how an email is perceived.
  • The designer of the first emoji’s, Shigetaka Kurita, came up with the size 176 12×12.

3 New Ways to Use Emojis

  • Instagram allows you to search and use hashtags with emojis
  • The app imoji turns your selfies into emojis
  • The Wall Street Journal allows you to emoji-fy headlines

***UPDATED: The GUN EMOJI***

Will removing the gun/rifle emojis directly affect the “gun debate,” NO.
Is it the right thing to do morally, YES.
Does it infringe on freedom of speech, YES.

I used the monkey/gun emoji above last year in this blog and it was my first time EVER using it. As a former Boy Scout and U.S. Army Veteran, I believe guns/rifles should ALWAYS be used in the right context. More than likely we will only agree on one thing as a United State and that is that mass shootings are not a good thing (period). How we come to a solution will more than likely make one or both sides of the issue not happy.

It’s perfectly clear that there are many sides to this story and guess what? I AM PERFECTLY OK WITH THAT. I am very thankful that I live in a country that allows us to have different viewpoints. Do you know why most civilizations were ran by Dictators? To avoid turmoil amongst the population and not give people the option to THINK. Where are those civilizations now? Mostly gone. Democracy isn’t easy, but neither is being suppressed into a society of like minded people. Respect. Respect. Respect. You have to GIVE IT to GET IT.

What are your top 5 Emojis?

Tom Harness | Twitter: @iTomHarness | Snapchat: tharness | tom@harnessdigitalmarketing.com

About Tom Harness

Tom Harness is the owner of Harness Digital Marketing, a digital marketing firm that works with businesses and organizations on Social Media, SEO, and Email Marketing. He is an entrepreneur and business owner with 20 years of combined experience in Education, IT, and Business. Tom is a U.S. Army Veteran and a Southern Illinois University alum. He also enjoys craft beers, his beloved Chicago Cubs, and his family.

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