The language we use is fundamental to decoding the reality in which we live and the more languages we master, the more tools we have to understand the world around us.
The theory of linguistic relativism suggests that language can shape and influence the perception of certain concepts. For example, a Portuguese speaker might describe “bridge,” a feminine word in that language, with adjectives like “beautiful” and “elegant,” while a Spanish speaker might use masculine adjectives like “strong” or “big.”
These differences occur because the cognitive abilities provided by each language affect the listener’s perception in different ways. Language evolves and expands over time and space, especially with the use of social media, which encourages the creation of dialects and slang common to different countries. Popular terms on TikTok, such as “Girl Dinner,” “Girl Math,” and “Strawberry Makeup,” are understood in similar ways by people from different cultures, regardless of the language.
The internet has facilitated this global communication, reducing linguistic and cultural barriers, but the phenomenon known as ‘dialect leveling’ has raised concerns about the possibility of losing variations in dialects and accents due to the influence of social networks. Humans have created a diversity of 7,000 languages, shaping them according to their needs and desires for connection. However, half of these could disappear in the next hundred years, as predicted by cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky.
This shows how social media plays a significant role in both preserving and losing this linguistic diversity. Emojis emerge as a common thread among these thousands of languages spread across the world. And as the Roman Emperor Charlemagne said, “to have a second language is to have a second soul.”
But what is this soul that we are building together across the globe? According to a survey conducted by the social network Discord, 16,000 people aged 16 or over in the US, Brazil, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Australia revealed that they use this new form of language to express emotions and strengthen connections.
Of those surveyed, 63% said emojis help them connect with like-minded communities, while 73% felt that these symbols helped people connect. Globally, both Gen Z (61%) and Millennials (68%) believe that messages with emojis allow for more sincere communication compared to messages without them.
Emojis are transforming our language and serving as a bridge to effectively express emotions online. They offer a richer form of expression, sometimes even more effective than written or spoken words, and are becoming a common semiotic language.
But “common” is never unanimous. The interpretation of emojis is still influenced by local culture, as linguistic relativism points out. A recent analysis of emojis used on X, formerly Twitter, revealed that popular emojis vary significantly between different cultures and countries. For example, the “one hundred percent” emoji (💯) is widely used in the United States, but does not appear in the rankings of other countries.
In Latin America, the 💯 is not seen in any country’s ranking, while the emojis ❤️ and 😂 dominate, reflecting the warm and humorous nature of Latin Americans. They compete with nationalist sentiments represented by national flags in Mexico 🇲🇽, Bolivia 🇧🇴 and Costa Rica 🇨🇷. We are a warm people who approach life with good humor, and not even emojis can deny that.
Even with the reduction of language barriers, the local context continues to influence the interpretation of this new dialect. And of course, they help to express feelings and emotions that, at times, words would not be enough.
Our repertoire of communication keys is expanding, influenced by the constant presence of devices that connect us to millions of information and people around the world, changing the way we understand, see, interpret, expand and receive information, feelings and emotions.
Follow ADNews on Instagram e LinkedIn.
#ADDSomethingNew #ADNewsOficial #ADGroupBR
