Emoji Translator – A Brand New Way of Self-Expression
Using Emojis has become of everyday life. Whether it is emails, texts messages, or social media Emojis are used to help express how the writer is feeling. However, emojis vary based on the phone you have. For example, Apple. Google, and Samsung all have different emojis to express how you are feeling, but a friend with a different phone may not be seeing the same expression that you are trying to convey.
Emojis do not only differ from device to device, they also have different meanings based on culture. In the Middle East the “thumbs up” emoji is offensive, when in other parts of the world it is a gesture to “like” something. And the emoji symbolizing “A-OK” is offensive in Latin America. Some emojis that were also meant for one meaning have been changed to sexual references, including the peach and eggplant emoji. A study actually showed out 571 tweets with these emojis in them, only 7 were referring to the actual fruit or vegetable.
Keith Broni, is the first person in the world with the job title of Emoji Translator. His job is to help companies navigate the growing emoji media safely. As we discussed earlier based on the phone you own, the emoji platform can be different. Emojis change in color, shape, and can appear drastically different.
Keith Broni was brought on board by Today Translations – a London based translation company. He was able to beat out over 500 other applicants for the position. Mr. Broni’s previous employment included a position changing idioms into understandable emojis (“no pain, no gain” or “speak of the devil”). He also explains the importance of emoji use in business.
Thanks to his degree in business psychology, Broni understands the importance and growing use of emojis in marketing and communication.
The use of emojis helps us to understand verbal cues through messaging. Rather than just sending words you are able to convey a gesture or vocal tone. However, it should always be remembered emojis always have their pitfalls. When emojis were developed in 1999 in Japan there were only 176 icons. In less than 10 years, this number has grown drastically. There are now 2,666 emojis offered in Unicode Standard!
Emojis are so popular there are websites that make them available to use if your computer does not offer them! These sites even include meanings sometimes so they can be used the proper way, with the correct message being implied. A recent survey showed that 1 in 4 Americans said they have used emojis to communicate through email at work. When it comes to using emojis in a place a business it is always better to exercise caution, as you do not know how the other end is going to perceive them.
Below I included some examples on what we touched on earlier – depending on the device you use, and the device the person on the other end is using – you could be sending the wrong emoji!
While some the smirks on the emojis may seem devious, others look a little tired.
While this ghost looks like a fun and playful Casper on most devices, Samsungs and LGs looks a little creepy.
All but one seems to be in shock, Samsung looks like it’s getting frustrated.
And well last, all devices are eating cookies, except Samsung – they display this as saltine cracker.
Emojis are a thing of the present, and with 157 being added in 2018 alone, with more set to be released, learning the proper way to use them to convey the message, expression, and feeling you are trying to get across is something that all of us will have to soon come accustom too if we have no already begun to.
In the beginning most people who heard of Keith Broni’s position as an Emoji Translator, laughed, made jokes, and said this is the ultimate “millennial” position – people are interested, and willing to put more time and effort into the use of emojis, not only in their personal lives but in their place of business as well.
