In the ever expanding universe of emoji, where smiley faces and thumbs up reign supreme, there exists a fascinating realm of representation that goes beyond mere expressions and simple symbols. It's a world where the essence of humanity is distilled into tiny digital picture symbols, and it's a world I find utterly captivating. 🤩
Unveiling the Emoji Universe
Emoji often go unnoticed in their complexity. But dig a little deeper, and you'll find a great variety of expressions, each carefully crafted to convey not just emotions but also something more profound—universal concepts of humanity. 🌌
Think about the emoji that represent human beings. They aren't just one-size-fits-all representations. The creators of emoji have gone the extra mile to ensure that these digital respresentations of humanity can be seen as universal ideals. It is really quite an incredible feat when you think about it. 🤯
The Triad of Humanity - Person, Woman, Man
Take, for example, the "Person Feeding Baby" emoji. But wait, there's not just one version; there are three—Person, Woman, and Man, each performing the same action. It's a subtle yet powerful reminder that, at our core, we are all caregivers, regardless of our gender or gender identity. ⚧️♀️♂️
Some more examples:
| Person Feeding Baby | Woman Feeding Baby | Man Feeding Baby |
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| Scientist | Woman Scientist | Man Scientist |
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| Singer | Woman Singer | Man Singer |
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| Judge | Woman Judge | Man Judge |
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| Technologist | Woman Technologist | Man Technologist |
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| Deaf Person | Deaf Woman | Deaf Man |
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| Merperson | Mermaid | Merman |
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The Missing Realism - Individual vs. Universal
There is an intriguing distinction to be made here. While emoji excel at representing universal concepts of humanity, they do not represent the realm of realistic, individual human beings. You won't find an emoji that looks like a character from your favorite TV show, a specific celebrity, or even a friend. (At least not many, there are few and far between exceptions when an emoji maker will go out of their way to such as Open Moji's version of Greta Thunberg.)
Let's take the example of "Health Worker." You'll find a generic representation of three - person, woman, and man 3️⃣
| Health Worker | Woman Health Worker | Man Health Worker |
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...but there will not be a humanoid form that resembles a real live human being with characteristics that we can all identify as with these characters below (from one of my favorite shows Grey's Anatomy). Emoji do not capture the nuanced individuality that makes each individual human unique.
| Health Worker | Woman Health Worker | Man Health Worker |
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However, emoji do tap into the shared experiences, emotions, and actions that bind us all together as a species, including representations of humanity - which make them incredibly inclusive. But they do not represent individuality. At least they did not at first. They were all made yellow to be inclusive. 🌈
But people crave to be grouped and recognized for their individual traits. So more diverse and inclusive emoji people are being added to the Unicode Standard all of the time. This includes emoji with a variety of various skin tones, hair types, and disabilities. 🦼
When we use an emoji to convey an emotion or action, we're not just communicating with words; we're invoking universal languages that transcend culture, language, and personal identity. We crave the emoji that we feel represent us to fully express ourselves. 🗣️📢
The Power of Universal Languages
For years, I've been fascinated by these universal concepts, or as I prefer to call them, universal languages. They are the threads that connect us as human beings, the building blocks of understanding and empathy in our now full hybridized world - physical+digital.☯️
Emoji might seem like simple digital picture symbols, but in reality, they are potent tools for communication and connection. They remind us that, beneath our individuality, we share a common humanity, a set of universal expressions that bind us together. 🤝
As we navigate the ever-expanding emoji universe, let's start centering the power that emoji hold to bridge gaps, foster understanding, and capture the very essence of what it means to be human. In a world filled with emoji, we can connections with each other and perhaps start to think beyond the binary, beyond just physical or digital and really embrace what it means to be an empowered hybrid, connected world full of unique individuals all yearning for connection. 🔗
And that, my friends, is truly something to marvel at. 🤩
Beyond the Binary,
Chief Moji Muser and EmojiIRL™ Creator
#emojiexpression #emojiIRL #getyourmojion
☮️🖖❤️😊
