Emojis as a Form of Response

[Medusa]

Yep, you got it... if there are more than 8 reactions, I sure don't get them on my laptop. Of course I get the many emojis, though...

I was actually going to call this thread, "Reactions as a Form of Response," but since those two words, while not actually sharing a definition, can be used as synonyms, I changed "Reactions" to "Emojis" for clarity.

 

[Naturally]

 

[CallMeKate]

... now I'm confused. Shoot

The "dozens of choices" are options when you're replying to someone. There are only 8 reactions when you want to react to a post but not actually reply... you're right about that. The 8 are: Like, Love, Hug, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry, and Cool.

 

[Llynn]

I use them when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to actually spend energy with a written a response. I also use them to respond to new members who never use the search function or spend a bit of time exploring old threads. They initiate new threads about topics that already been pounded to bits apparently thinking they will establish themselves as a deep thinker. I guess I should post a grumpy old man emoji here.

 

[Naturally]

The "dozens of choices" are options when you're replying to someone. There are only 8 reactions when you want to react to a post but not actually reply... you're right about that. The 8 are: Like, Love, Hug, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry, and Cool.

I sometimes wish I could choose a couple of those eight for a single post, but we're limiting to choosing only one of course.
"Like" for instance a and a ... or in some cases a :wow: and a :haha: etc etc

 

[CallMeKate]

I sometimes wish I could choose a couple of those eight for a single post, but we're limiting to choosing only one of course.
"Like" for instance a and a ... or in some cases a :wow: and a :haha: etc etc

Yeah, me too... like if something bad/traumatic happens to someone, I'd choose a "sad" and "hug"... but only one per customer.

 

[Medusa]

I use them when I'm feeling lazy and don't want to actually spend energy with a written a response. I also use them to respond to new members who never use the search function or spend a bit of time exploring old threads. They initiate new threads about topics that already been pounded to bits apparently thinking they will establish themselves as a deep thinker. I guess I should post a grumpy old man emoji here.

I get the lazy thing. I sometimes find myself relying too heavily on emojis in my Whatsapps or texts and subsequently declare to my recipients that I won't be using them for a while as I need to exercise my ability to articulate and make myself understood through the written word.

Grumpy old man is actually a good suggestion for a reaction.

Do you never use them, not out of laziness, or being irritated by a very specific type of thread, but because you don't have more than a reaction-type feeling of input? Or, given that, you don't want to clog up the thread by creating a post just to say, "Cool," or "I like that," etc.?

 

[Rae]

I use them to express I like the post and what the person wrote. I feel it gives at least a message it was read and was a good post. The sad, love and hugs I use are for the most sensitive posts and I want to show I care.

 

[DebraMae]

That they can mean so many things to different people was not something I realized. I always assume people mean well. The only one that really bothers me is the hug. It has a smiling face. If someone posts their pet died I want to offer them a hug but I don't really want to be smiling about it.

 

[Jules]

That they can mean so many things to different people was not something I realized. I always assume people mean well. The only one that really bothers me is the hug. It has a smiling face. If someone posts their pet died I want to offer them a hug but I don't really want to be smiling about it.

Absolutely agree with this.

 

[Jules]

I get the lazy thing. I sometimes find myself relying too heavily on emojis in my Whatsapps or texts

Talking about lazy, I use an iPad and if I’m scrolling with my right hand, I tend to use more emojis. Heaven forbid that if I’m using my left, that I would lift my right hand.

Texts - just heard that it’s considered rude to acknowledge that you’ve read a text with a . You’re supposed to use a . What hogwash!

 

[Medusa]

Texts - just heard that it’s considered rude to acknowledge that you’ve read a text with a . You’re supposed to use a . What hogwash!

I hadn't heard that! Huh. I'm not a fan of the thumbs up, something about it bugs me, so I use the instead if I'm talking to someone I wouldn't use a with, which is an admittedly rare occurrence.

 

[Elsie]

I’ve been using a lot of hugs and hearts lately… and then wondering if I’m using too many hearts and hugs. Which has led me to thinking about how, in a forum setting, emojis can be a surprisingly powerful communication tool.

For example, putting a laughing face on a post with sad or tragic news. Or, putting a laughing face on a post to express contempt.

We had a member here for a short time, recently, who created an entire persona using only emojis. (I’m not saying it was a likeable persona.)

Expanding, the WOW emoji we use (which I think is the only one available in the emoji world) seems to express a sort of, “unhappy surprise,” where sometimes what I want to convey is a more nonjudgemental, general, sense of surprise.

Of course, I know I can simply reply to a given post and write out my emotional response and I do that sometimes, but often, it simply isn’t warranted.

Or this, does anyone else, on reading through a thread and subsequently putting up multiple, “likes,” begin to feel like, having liked so many, if they don’t then like all the posts, they are now inadvertently making a statement about the posts they didn’t, “like?”

I notice emojis, the ones others use, and I pay close (possibly too close) attention to my own.

It’s possible I’m getting way too deep, within my own head, into the emoji thing.

But I feel like a lot can be conveyed, intentionally or not, with these little faces.

I've been going through the same questions in my mind. Should I click on this emoji, or that emoji? Which would best convey my reaction. Oh the heck with it, there's no emoji here that I feel best expresses my opinion, so I'll just click LIKE.

 

[Medusa]

That they can mean so many things to different people was not something I realized. I always assume people mean well. The only one that really bothers me is the hug. It has a smiling face. If someone posts their pet died I want to offer them a hug but I don't really want to be smiling about it.

I hadn't considered that about the hug! This thread has been enlightening in this way. It's been interesting to learn how others use and perceive emojis.

 

[Medusa]

I've been going through the same questions in my mind. Should I click on this emoji, or that emoji? Which would best convey my reaction. Oh the heck with it, there's no emoji here that I feel best expresses my opinion, so I'll just click LIKE.

Oh My Gosh, been there!

I love your new avatar.


EDIT: typo

 

[RedAlert76]

Perplexed and undecided. For me I usually just hit Like. It is hard to know which one to use,as some may take offense and other upset because you did not hit at least Like on their post. I guess showing emotion of some kind is better than nothing? When ya'll figure this out let me know

 

[Ruthanne]

I don't see WOW as unhappy surprise. Just a surprise, no judgement.

On a beautiful picture post the wow can be also show being in awa of it or amazed.

 

[Ruthanne]

I used to be very concerned about the emojis but not any longer. People click on a particular one for reasons I don't know. I was trying to read too much into them before and now I just don't evaluate them anymore.

So it's an unknown to me unless I ask the person what they meant. I just learned a lot from this thread. I would have never guessed the things that people thought a particular emoji meant.

I also lately don't click on any of the emojis in some threads so I just keep my feelings about things to myself. I may start doing more of that.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

I use the Wow emoji for either expressing awe at something that is amazing or unusual. Sometimes I use it because I can't believe someone wrote what they did, though it's not angering or I don't understand what the heck their post meant (that doesn't happen often though).

Sometimes members accidentally hit the wrong emoji....(eg Laugh instead of Sad ir Wow). I've done it and I saw that at least one other person here did as well. I messaged that person because I knew they meant to put Sad due to the content of the thread, I wish we could use more than one emoji at a time. For instance I could love something because it's so funny or want to give it hugs because it's so cute. When it moves me to do so, I just reply to it with I love it, or too funny or whatever. Sometimes a post is sad, but I want to give hugs to the person who wrote it.

I'm glad we now have the Cool emoji. I've been using that more often lately because so many posts are just that. BTW, Facebook hasn't given that option yet.

 

[Magna-Carta]

I’ve been using a lot of hugs and hearts lately… and then wondering if I’m using too many hearts and hugs.

I don't really see your use of emojis as being overused.

Which has led me to thinking about how, in a forum setting, emojis can be a surprisingly powerful communication tool.

For example, putting a laughing face on a post with sad or tragic news. Or, putting a laughing face on a post to express contempt.

I think the use of the laughing face emojis, when used in this context, is the only emoji that sticks in my mind. It then becomes associated with some members. Right up to the point where I can predict which members are about to respond in that way. Stringing a few words together would be better than using the laughing face in that way. I think that the use of that particular emoji in that way becomes quite revealing.

As for other emojis, they don't grab my attention in the same way.

We had a member here for a short time, recently, who created an entire persona using only emojis. (I’m not saying it was a likeable persona.)

Yes, and to me it seemed really impressive. I wondered if it was possible to build up a picture of someone just by their emoji responses, and nothing else. I even started to wonder if I'm subconsciously building a picture of that person's age. Or at least in maturity if not in years. In a way, I started to find that person fascinating.

Expanding, the WOW emoji we use (which I think is the only one available in the emoji world) seems to express a sort of, “unhappy surprise,” where sometimes what I want to convey is a more nonjudgemental, general, sense of surprise.

This is a challenging one for me to interpret sometimes, as it can mean different things depending on the thread as a whole, a post in particular, and how I 'perceive' the person who responded with that emoji.

Of course, I know I can simply reply to a given post and write out my emotional response and I do that sometimes, but often, it simply isn’t warranted.

I think a simple emoji can represent many words, even an untyped sentence. It might even represent something with some accuracy. Unfortunately, different people have very different opinions of us, which might contradict opinions that others have of us. I think when using emojis, we 'might' have to think about our audience, and how different personalities might interpret our emojis. We might even think that there are a few people that we couldn't care less how they interpret us, as they might always get it wrong regardless of how clear we might try to be.

Or this, does anyone else, on reading through a thread and subsequently putting up multiple, “likes,” begin to feel like, having liked so many, if they don’t then like all the posts, they are now inadvertently making a statement about the posts they didn’t, “like?”

...

I was genuinely laughing out loud. Yes, I sometimes think this too. Then later, I take a rest in other threads by not putting a like on any posts. Then later still wonder why the hell I am thinking this way! And then wondering what kind of impression my inconsistency might give.

I notice emojis, the ones others use, and I pay close (possibly too close) attention to my own.

I used to do and think a similar thing, and then at one time started using emojis aimlessly for a couple of days just to snap out of my own self-awareness.

It’s possible I’m getting way too deep, within my own head, into the emoji thing.

I wonder... perhaps we have all done that at some point within forums. I personally just smile about it and let it go -- or I at least attempt to.

But I feel like a lot can be conveyed, intentionally or not, with these little faces.

Absolutely! We can't always control how some interpret us though.

 

[Medusa]

Perplexed and undecided. For me I usually just hit Like. It is hard to know which one to use,as some may take offense and other upset because you did not hit at least Like on their post. I guess showing emotion of some kind is better than nothing? When ya'll figure this out let me know

In this regard, I was thinking for a while that we could use a check mark emoji as a sort of, "Got it," response. But that seems like it could be interpreted as a covert way of saying, "I read this, but I don't agree." I don't know.

Maybe it's ultimately a good thing we only have eight from which to choose. Although, the face palm @OldFeller, mentioned does have potential.

 

[Medusa]

I used to be very concerned about the emojis but not any longer. People click on a particular one for reasons I don't know. I was trying to read too much into them before and now I just don't evaluate them anymore.

So it's an unknown to me unless I ask the person what they meant. I just learned a lot from this thread. I would have never guessed the things that people thought a particular emoji meant.

I also lately don't click on any of the emojis in some threads so I just keep my feelings about things to myself. I may start doing more of that.

It's been enlightening for me as well.

And I do that too, on some threads where I read, but don't want to engage in any way for whatever reasons.

 

[Medusa]

I don't really your use of emojis as being overused.



I think the use of the laughing face emojis, when used in this context, in the only emoji that sticks in my mind. It then becomes associated with some members. Right up to the point where I can predict which members are about to respond in that way. Stringing a few words together would be better than using the laughing face in that way. I think that the use of that particular emoji in that way becomes quite revealing.

As for other omogies, they don't grab my attention in the same way.



Yes, and to me it seemed really impressive. I wondered if it was possible to build up a picture of someone just by thair emoji responses, and nothing else. I even started to wonder if I'm subconsciously building a picture of that person's age. Or at least in maturity if not in years. In a way, I started to find that person fascinating.



This is a challenging one for me to interpret sometimes, as it can mean different things depending on the thread as a whole, a post in particular, and how I 'perceive' the person who responded with that emoji.



I think a simple emoji can represent many words, even an untyped sentence. It might even represent something with some accuracy. Unfortunately, different people have very different opinions of us, which might contradict opinions that others have of us. I think when using emojis, we 'might' have to think about our audience, and how different personalities might interpret our emojis. We might even think that there of a few people that we couldn't care less how they interpret us, as they might always get it wrong regardless of how clear we might try to be.



...

I was genuinely laughing out loud. Yes, I sometimes think this too. Then later, I take a rest in other threads by not putting a like on any posts. Then later still wonder why the hell I am thinking this way! And then wondering what kind of impression my inconsistency might give.



I used to do and think a similar thing, and then at one time started using emojis aimlessly for a couple of days just to snap out of my own self-awareness.



I wonder... perhaps we have all done that at some point within forums. I personally just smile about it and let it go -- or I at least attempt to.



Absolutely! We can't always control how some interpret us though.

I used the emoji in response to this post, but I feel compelled to also say that I love this post. Just love it.

 

[Medusa]

I use the Wow emoji for either expressing awe at something that is amazing or unusual. Sometimes I use it because I can't believe someone wrote what they did, though it's not angering or I don't understand what the heck their post meant (that doesn't happen often though).

Sometimes members accidentally hit the wrong emoji....(eg Laugh instead of Sad ir Wow). I've done it and I saw that at least one other person here did as well. I messaged that person because I knew they meant to put Sad due to the content of the thread, I wish we could use more than one emoji at a time. For instance I could love something because it's so funny or want to give it hugs because it's so cute. When it moves me to do so, I just reply to it with I love it, or too funny or whatever. Sometimes a post is sad, but I want to give hugs to the person who wrote it.

I'm glad we now have the Cool emoji. I've been using that more often lately because so many posts are just that. BTW, Facebook hasn't given that option yet.

Good to know we are advanced of Facebook. We're so much better than FB in so many ways.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

Good to know we are advanced of Facebook. We're so much better than FB in so many ways.

I agree!