Add An Emoji
I received some great advice about texting that I want to share with you. Texting can be difficult and is rife with the possibility for misunderstanding. There is little to no context, no inflection, and we cannot control how it’s read. We all have experiences where a misunderstanding caused hardship from a misunderstood text.
My sister recently shared some advice from a good friend which has served me very well. She suggests that you always add an emoji to every text. It gives context, and clues the reader into your meaning, helping them to read it with the right inflection. I have found this to be incredibly helpful.
I started doing this a few weeks ago and have found it makes a huge difference. I add a thumbs up or smile at the end of my text and it tells the reader I’m being friendly. If I’m making a joke or even being a touch sarcastic, the reader gets clued in and the chance of hurt feelings goes way down.
Our relationships demand good communication, and this can be difficult in this era of short messages and abbreviations. No matter who you’re interacting with, we need to help them understand the meaning. This is simpler in person as our faces are wired to give a lot of non-verbal information. Even with a mask on we can sense the intent behind what is being said. This is not true in a text or email, so an emoji can give much needed information and context to any message. Give it a try!
I used the thinking emoji for this post because it’s the emoji I use the most. I tend to think before responding, even in conversations. I find this response fits the bill a lot of times, even after funny or provocative texts or memes. It says “I need to think this over” or even “I”m not sure WHAT to think about this!” My other favorite is the Thumbs Up, which is affirmative and supportive.
Add this bit of communication, whichever emoji seems appropriate, and see if it doesn’t improve your relationships.
Tim Hinton
June 3, 2022
