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From Emoticons to Emotions: Investigating the Communicative Impact of Emojis and GIFs.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: From Emoticons to Emotions: Investigating the Communicative Impact of Emojis and GIFs.
Authors: Un Nisa, Sarwat1
Source: Theory & Practice in Language Studies (TPLS). Feb2026, Vol. 16 Issue 2, p649-657. 9p.
Subject Terms: *Communicative competence, Emoticons & emojis, Graphics interchange format, Semiotics, Telematics, Sociolinguistics, Courtesy
Abstract: In recent decades, the rapid growth of computer-mediated communication has created new ways to express emotions, including using simple keyboard symbols like emoticons. This research examined how communicative intention through emojis and GIFs would affect perceptions of communicative efficiency and politeness among users of online communication. The SEM results highlight that emojis and GIFs both serve as powerful non-verbal indicators and significantly augment digital discourse's tone and intelligibility. This work empirically supports the argument that emojis and GIFs act as pragmatic markers that not only increase communicative efficiency but are also critical in determining perceptions of politeness in online interaction. The results add to a new field of digital sociolinguistics and highlight the crucial role that multimodal semiotics plays in determining online communicative practice. As digital communication develops further, these visual components are likely to take an even more pivotal position in ensuring civility, relationship management, and facilitating mutual understanding across virtual landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:In recent decades, the rapid growth of computer-mediated communication has created new ways to express emotions, including using simple keyboard symbols like emoticons. This research examined how communicative intention through emojis and GIFs would affect perceptions of communicative efficiency and politeness among users of online communication. The SEM results highlight that emojis and GIFs both serve as powerful non-verbal indicators and significantly augment digital discourse's tone and intelligibility. This work empirically supports the argument that emojis and GIFs act as pragmatic markers that not only increase communicative efficiency but are also critical in determining perceptions of politeness in online interaction. The results add to a new field of digital sociolinguistics and highlight the crucial role that multimodal semiotics plays in determining online communicative practice. As digital communication develops further, these visual components are likely to take an even more pivotal position in ensuring civility, relationship management, and facilitating mutual understanding across virtual landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:17992591
DOI:10.17507/tpls.1602.30