Emojis: Why It’s So Important For Kids in Texts
A lot of messages to our kids can be misunderstood because there are no emojis.
Some of us moms may find it strange how our kids spam so many emojis in a single message. Some of our kids even invented a few. The “XD” emoji came from the Millennial Generation, the “OTL” (person kneeling down) came from Gen Z or the Cuspers of the Millennial Generation, and many others were created to help people better understand digital communication. Even the amount of emojis matters to them! Here’s why.
Kids & Emojis: Communication in the Digital Age
When the pandemic kept us home, we and our kids relied heavily on social media and chatrooms to communicate with others. Families of OFWs are no stranger to this, relying heavily on Skype to check in on kids and family. As more chatrooms like Discord, Google Meet, Viber, Zoom, Whatsapp, etc. came out, so did the different tools for communication. Some chatrooms even feature a GIF keyboard so that people could portray their feelings better.
From calls to texts
Because of these new functions like emojis and GIF keyboards, kids find it easier to just text rather than call. Having a voice or video call has a confrontational element that stresses them out. Emojis help them better depict their feelings and remove the possibility of blowback due to the wrong expression. It’s also become an unspoken rule that no emojis usually means the person is in a bad mood. It doesn’t help either that written communication is a completely different art from verbal.
Using emojis with our kids
While we deliver our messages in a normal tone, sometimes, the way we write it doesn’t sound that way. Certain punctuations like “???” can indicate rage or confused annoyance. “!!!” This alone can indicate unbridled fury. Words in just all caps make it even worse. But if written with emojis, it can change. For example, kids will understand “WHAT???” differently from “WHAT??? XDDDD”. The latter shows more amusement and that they’re laughing.
Learning digital communication
It can take a while to wrap our heads around using emojis but once we get the hang of it, we’ll notice fewer misunderstandings with our kids. Fewer fights and more open communication really help in building their resilience and them opening up. Especially during a time when digital communication is a necessity, knowing the nuances can help avoid a lot of petty and unnecessary fights even with other people.
Still learning about the digital world? Here’s more!
Is Gaming Really Bad For Kids? Here’s What Parents Need To Know
How Much Screen Time Is Too Much?
Instagram Releases a Parents’ Guide For Online Safety
