Is The Digital World Ready For 230 NEW Emojis?
230 NEW Emojis are set to hit our phones, desk-top computers and tablets in 2019…do we need them? Do we WANT them? Some of the new characters include a Waffle Emoji, a Yawning Emoji, Disability-Themed Emojis like a wheelchair (I like the effort to be more inclusive), and the Pinching Hand emoji (not sure about that one…). Allegedly we’ll all have access to 59 new emojis, with 230 in total, when you factor in updates to previous emojis and different variations in skin tone and gender. This is either exciting news or more evidence of the decline of non-digital civilization. Although I’ve been known to throw an emoji or two into my texts and social media posts (the electric guitar, smiley face and frowny/crying face are my most frequent crutches), I fear we are getting further and further away from heart-felt communication as we come up with carton characters that can stand in for every emotion or situation we face. A Poop Emoji, because we can’t be bothered to type out “that stinks”? I would like to see emojis used as the croutons of life’s communication salad, not the lettuce (no lettuce emoji to insert here).
John Young
