By noon watch and write a paragraph-long comment or question in response to In Defense of Emojis:
https://www.ted.com/talks/jenna_schilstra_in_defense_of_emojis#t-104008
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Created January 6, 2020
Community? Engagements? Arts? Well, for starters this is a class taught at Transylvania University in Lexington, KY by professors Kremena Todorova and Kurt Gohde. The goal of this class is to form a relationship with the community by engaging in artistic projects with the community. The outcome of this will manifest itself in many ways, some recognizable and others not so much.
CETA 2020: Our first 2 emojis (of hundreds)
Created January 6, 2020
Individual Tasks
Collect addresses, make & write thank-you cards, design pronoun buttons--Anna Davis
Blog Manager--Paige Wessling
Recorder/archivist for This I Believe essays--Sarah Metcalfe
Social Media--Lydia Baggett & Garrett LeVan
Photographic Inventory (3 people)--Yousef Alsdudi, Sarah Bennett, & Faith Boles
Space, raw material, & tool inventory manager AND order enforcer--Emily Neat
Quality Control & Class Ethicist--Alex Toney
Software Design Team (3 people)--Shelby Barker, Emily Cecil, & Abby Pearson
Fabrication Team (3 people)--Brooklyn Greer, Will Hemingway, & Marissa Price
Finishing Team (4 people)--Nannie Baze, Emon Daneshmand, Ally Frederick, & Madison Phillips
Additional photographic documentation--Kremena and Kurt
Working with production design at Kre8Now Makerspace--Kurt and Kremena
Publicity for the class--Kremena and Kurt
Securing materials needed--Kurt and Kremena
Articles of Interest (optional)
Blog Archive
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2020
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January
(8)
- This I Believe #3-- 02/03/20
- This I Believe Essay #2- 1/27/20
- Wednesday, 01/22- Resilience 101 exhibition
- Questions and Comments for Wednesday, 01/22, assig...
- Class notes 01/15/2020-- Felice Salmon
- Questions & Comments for our conversation with Fel...
- Questions & Comments for our conversation with Aus...
- This I Believe essay #1---CETA 2020 begins!
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January
(8)
One thing I found interesting about In Defense of Emojis was the possible use of emojis for helping people communicate about issues regarding abuse and other difficult topics. I saw a post online recently advocating for the incorporation of more nonverbal communication into our society-- specifically American Sign Language-- not only for the purpose of communicating with people who have hearing impairment (though that is a significant problem,) but also for the purpose of communicating with other people when speaking is less convenient, i.e. when a room is too loud for people to hear, the person trying to communicate is too panicked to speak, or they don't feel comfortable talking about something.
ReplyDeleteEspecially in terms of reporting or discussing difficult topics in therapy or similar situations, emojis could be used in this way as well to help people communicate effectively.
The argument that emojis make younger people less intelligent has always grated on my nerves. As Schilstra explained, I have always seen it as a sort of bonus when communicating through text, as it provides the visual cues that one’s face would communicate in a face-to-face conversation. I think it’s true that emojis can be used as a sort of universal language if the user knows how to utilize them. Using emojis for environmental awareness might, and hopefully will, make the message more accessible and consumable for younger people at Common Good and throughout the community. Even removing the emoji aspect, looking at them as just images, I believe images often have more power than words due to their recognizability, so even those unacquainted with emojis will connect to the project. As she said, images transcend time and language, so in some ways they have more staying power than words or text.
ReplyDeleteMy friend that is a teacher uses her bitmoji and creates stickers to grade her students work. I thought that this was a great way to stay up to date with the world, and also a great way to connect with the students. I thought this connected with the idea that images are more powerful than words. If my teacher graded my work with her bitmoji when I was younger I can imagine it would mean more to me than just a comment.
DeleteThey really d transcend language. I use a language swap app and we all encourage one another to add emojis because it helps contextualize what we are saying, especially when our target language says some things more bluntly than our mother tongues. They are fantastic communication devices.
DeleteI agree that emojis help better understand emotions over text and whatnot. I don't use emojis too often because I'm too lazy to find one that fits, but I do like it when other people send them to me because their point is clearly getting across and I don't have to guess at their emotions. I did like the idea of using emojis at the doctors or by psychologist to help better understand how a child is feeling if they don't have the words to express them. I think emojis could be very beneficial in that way. So the doctors or psychologist don't have to guess around at what the child needs.
ReplyDeleteEmoji’s are something that millennials use almost every day. I even taught my mom how to get in on the fun! I have never thought of other uses of emoji’s other than to make my texts sound more sarcastic or to get my message across. Hearing the speaker discuss the possibility of using emoji’s to help children who have learning disabilities seems like a great idea. Without emoji, it is difficult to understand what a person means when they say something to you through text. Giving children access to pictures of emotions and other objects will allow them to express how they feel so that the people helping them can understand what they are trying to do. This will be something that has potential to do more than show what we think is funny.
ReplyDelete-Garret LeVan
DeleteI love that you taught your mom to use emojis! How I knew my mother had a smart phone is by her sudden and enthusiastic use of emojis all over the place :)
DeleteI have emoji-heavy conversation often. Besides communicating with my English-speaking cohorts, I have a dear friend I made while in Italy through broken Italian and English. Our primary interaction is over social media now, a heavily visual media anyway, and when she responds to my stories or comments on pictures, it is always emojis. We can communicate emotion and sentiment much more easily using these symbols. I agree with Schilstra that they will facilitate cross cultural emotional depth, and offer something that language cannot offer to the same extent.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how many communication barriers can be broken through emojis. The speaker in this Ted Talk does a fantastic job laying out how many solutions emojis pose- autism, abuse, language barriers, advertisement, and more. Recently I have begun to understand the significance of emojis in terms of communication but this Ted Talk truly enlightened me on their vast benefits. I also enjoyed that the speaker acknowledged concerns and negative aspects regarding emoji use. It made her argument sound and well rounded.
ReplyDeleteUntil watching "The Defense of Emojis," I did not realize all of the benefits there are to using the fun, colorful images on our phones. Similarly to Garret, I also use emojis in order to be funny or get my point across, and my mom loves to text me with emojis now. She and I use emojis almost every day, and it is a great way to express our thoughts and feelings when we may not get to talk on the phone or see each other as often as we'd like. I think it's amazing that emojis can break communication barriers across cultures as well as for children and those with Autism. I would love to see more research done in these areas so that our world can become even more connected and inclusive. Emojis really are a universal language that many people can understand!
ReplyDeleteHopefully we as a class can come up with effective emojis to communicate with others about climate change so that they understand all that we are learning about it and more!
DeleteI use emojis just about everyday, whether I mean to or not. I thought it was mostly a form of communication for millennials but not until my mom got a hold of them. It is hard to have a serious conversation with her through text because all she uses are emojis. I also had a foreign exchange student stay with me during high school and our main way of communicating is through emojis which I find hilarious when I read a text with like 5 emojis in a row. I think emojis are a great way to communicate because everyone can read an emotion.
ReplyDeleteI use emojis almost every day. I like that emojis can be used to convey their intended meaning and also be used in different ways from their intentional meanings. This has the ability to complicate things between the people communicating sometimes. For example the eggplant emoji has been used to convey different meanings; one is the vegetable and the other phallic. I see there being more strong communication through emojis, than accidental miscommunication.
ReplyDeleteI have always been an advocate for Emojis. I know that many people say this may be because I was born into the era of texting. But it goes farther than that. Like it was mentioned in the talk, emojis can be used to express emotion in deeper ways and help people connect on more intimate levels. I believe that in this new found, constantly moving, always have a screen world, people still crave that face to face in person conversation. Emojis can give people a taste of that, even if it is not the exact same way. Especially now that I live away from my family, getting one text from my mom that just says I miss you with a heart makes me remember how much my mom loves me. Emojis truly are able to connect people in ways that words my fail.
ReplyDeleteI really relate to this and using them as a way to communicate with family members, especially those that are far away from me.
DeleteYes!! Exactly!! It does help fill in the face-to-face aspect texting typically excludes.
DeleteAs of July 2018, 900,000 emojis were sent on facebook messenger each day—this only counts emojis sent without any text, just the emoji(s) as communication without using them to modify written words.
ReplyDeleteIn the late 19th century hobos communicated with one another about issues of wayfinding, food, shelter, and safety using a form of hieroglyphic language, sometimes known as “hobo code.”
In both of the above cases, the communication derived from these symbols, or images, is context specific and created with an awareness of who the audience was, of what their desires are/were.
Jenna Schilstra referenced advertisers and marketers using emojis to “replace traditional language.” I suspect they are doing this (very much like the previous 2 examples) with an awareness of who the audience is and what their desires are. In this way, the machinery of capitalism is using emojis for the same shortcut to our emotional selves that people use with one another, with their close friends and family. With—if we are to believe Schilstra—their sexual partners.
The 3 uses of emojis above are all forms of communication that are emotionally charged, instructive, and (to differing degrees) manipulative of future behavior for the person receiving the communication. It seems this is precisely how we should communicate with people about the climate crisis.
I found Jenna Schilstra’s focus on the use of emoji by people who have experienced trauma to be really interesting. In particular, she discusses the launching of an emoji keyboard for children victims of abuse and domestic violence. She points out that in the first week of being available in the App Store, this emoji collection was downloaded thousands of times. The non-verbal nature of the emoji enabled kids to share their feelings without having to find words to narrate past trauma. Perhaps using images instead of words made re-traumatizing less likely or less severe. This TED talk reminded me about the power of images.
ReplyDeleteI am a big emoji gal (the cowboy is my favorite). I use them almost everyday in my phone conversations, yet I never fully realized the possibilities of emoji-use. While it is true that in almost any time period or area, there have been pictographs and images used to represent language, there have never been so many representational images as today. Emojis are an accessible, powerful, and global language. Sometimes, in the case of the abuse victims or in the hospital when they ask for your pain level, words can either be too much or too limited. Emojis have the power to represent very complex emotions and situations in a single image that nearly everyone can understand. There is something so magnificent about everyone, no matter their language skills or background or age, being able to understand what an emoji is seeking to represent.
ReplyDeleteIn the absence of non-verbal cues, emojis can translate emotions to express facial expressions and intent. They are a universal language that can be used to communicate with anyone from anywhere in the world. The little yellow faces are just the latest evaluation of the way humans use symbols to communicate. I never thought about using emojis as a way of communicating with others who’re unable to or have difficulty with verbal language.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this Ted talk. I didn’t really realize it until she started talking about her background and trying to learn French and Dutch that I have actually used emojis to help me communicate with some of my relatives in Germany. I do not get to see or talk to them a lot and most of the stuff they post on Facebook or Instagram has some type of emoji attached with some explanation to what their post is about. I use them every day without ever really thinking about the impact emojis have and will continue to have globally until taking this class. Watching this video made me even more excited for our class project!
ReplyDeleteBrooklyn's Post:
ReplyDeleteI use emojis every day to communicate with my peers. Matter of fact, I often pick emojis that will make my tone happier and positive when I am being brief.
When watching this Ted Talk, Jenna Schilstra explains how using emojis will help kids connect when they have been through trauma. In other words, they will be able to explain how they feel and what they went though using emojis. Hence, it’s hard for anyone to explain those horrible experiences. Although I think this is a great idea, I believe that emojis help all ages. I instantly thought about when my papaw was in the hospital. On the board there were 6 faces, and it was a scale of pain level. The first one had a face that looked to be in pain or extreme uncomfort. The last face was happy. When I saw this on the board, I then went back when I was asked my pain level on a scale of numbers. I remember, I could never quite answer the question because it was difficult to connect to a number. For example, I may feel that I am in a level 9 pain but really might be a 5, or vice versa. When I saw the faces on my papaws hospital board, I realized how these face emojis are better for explaining how you feel because you can look at the face and ask yourself if that’s how you feel. Anyways, emojis help all ages and all people because they are easier to connect to.
Also, my friend that is a teacher uses her bitmoji stickers to grade her students work. I thought this was a great way to stay up to date with the world, and also a great way to connect with students!
I use emojis everyday to communicate with my peers. Matter of fact, I often pick emojis that will make my tone happier or more positive. (smiley face emoji), when I am being brief.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching the Ted Talk, Jenna Schilstra explains how using emojis will help kids explain their feelings or experiences, when it is too hard to explain them with words. Hence, it is hard for anyone to explain their traumas. Although I think this a great idea and beneficial for children, I believe that emojis help people of all ages. I instantly thought about when my papaw was in the hospital. In his room, on the board there were emoji faces to help him explain his pain level. With my experience with doctors they usually ask my pain level on a number scale. When I saw the emoji faces, I felt that it is much easier to look at a face and compare it to my own feelings, rather than putting it on a number scale. It makes it more meaningful, and personal. So, I believe that emojis help all ages because it gives people something to better connect to.
It is fascinating how she wants to learn so many languages and be able to communicate with people across the world, when most people aren’t even willing to learn another language to communicate with their neighbors. A form of emojis has always existed for example it used to be pictographs, or cave drawings. While that is true, I’m not sure if I agree with the extreme usage of emojis because they are convenient, but they lack the artistry of words.
ReplyDeleteI use emojis with all of my conversations. I need to show the emotion I have when I text because it is often missed. I know from experience that you need to text to your audience. I use about three emojis with my mother. Happy, sad, and mad. The basic ones. But I use tons with my friends. It is interesting that sometimes I still think I will be looked at as weird if I use a bunch of emojis. I wonder if others feel that way. I don’t understand why I get nervous when talking to new people and using emojis. If anything, the emojis would help normalize the conversation. Show the true meaning of what I am saying. And it’s not just the younger generation anymore. If I had a dime every time my grandmother sent me an emoji, I would be rich. She can’t turn up the volume on her phone but she can show how excited she is for something without a word.
ReplyDeleteI love using emojis in combination to clarify my meanings. It helps me express anxiety I'm having in a way that makes me feel comfortable to ask for clarification and makes the people I text less worried about how I am feeling. Whatever I am unclear about, I just add "����"
ReplyDeleteto my question and it means "I am nervous about the topic but I am okay. I just need to be sure of what you mean!" and everybody I have used it with has understood! I really think emojis help us communicate exactly what we mean.
Ugh! The emojis are "sweating smiley" and the "laughing" emoji!!
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ReplyDeleteWhen Jenna first compared the prehistoric carvings to emojis, I was dumbfounded. I hadn’t realized the similarities and continuation of visual communcation throughout history. This visual communication comes in handy when words fail. There are communcation barriers like language and audibly-disadvantaged individuals. Brisk’s emojis demonstrated to me the importance of communication. We all need a way to express ourselves. I typically don’t use a lot of emojis. Time and time, I know I have gotten into squabbles with my friends because we misinterpreted a tone from a text. The use of emojis would aid our conversation when we don’t understand the meaning behind the words.
We can see from the video that her passion for language allows her to connect with people from all across the globe. Understanding a new language is the first step to fully engage in ones culture. I know this first hand because I know some phrases in farsi just cannot completely be translated to english which could cause misinterpretation and limit the energy in conversation. Therefor the use of emojis breaks that barrier and enables us to portray our emotions much more easily. I also feel as if the use of emojis makes the conversation a lot more friendly for it is very informal. This is a great way to communicate with all kinds of people.
ReplyDelete^^^ This is Emon Daneshmand btw
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