Emojis*: el nuevo lenguaje...

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In essence, we’re watching the birth of a new type of language. Emoji assist in a peculiarly modern task: conveying emotional nuance in short, online utterances.

“They’re trying to solve 

one of the big problems of writing online, 

which is that you have the words 

but you don’t have the tone of voice,” 

Gretchen McCulloch,

Purists sniff. What have we become, children with crayons? Surely words alone can convey emotional tone? Maybe—if you’re a novelist with years of experience in the patient forging and editing of prose, McCulloch says. But we thumbfolk are writing speedily and conversationally, in bursts on SMS or Facebook. Of the 20 most frequently used emoji, nearly all are hearts, smilies, or hand gestures—the ones that emote. In an age of rapid chatter, emoji prevent miscommunication by adding an emotional tenor to cold copy. (Más)

(*) An emoji is a small icon that can be placed inline with text. 
The name "emoji" comes from the Japanese phrase "e" (絵) and "moji" (文字), which translates to "picture character." 
Since 2010, the popularity or emojis have grown rapidly. (Ver)