Communicating Online: Emoticons Explained

Chances are, you enjoy conversing with your loved ones via email, text messages and other forms of online communication. To help make your messages a little more fun, we want to introduce you to emoticons.

When you're talking face-to-face with someone, it's pretty easy to pick up on their moods. Since words can have different meanings when strung together, we rely on body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice to decode what's really being said. Digital communication, however, can often be harder to figure out. When reading an email or text message, what can help you understand the intended meaning?

Enter emoticons. The word comes from combining "emotion" and "icons." Emoticons are a series of punctuation marks, symbols and letters developed by Internet users in order to express feelings and facial expressions. They're seen just about everywhere online: emails, private chats (instant messengers), web forums, social networking sites, and even in text messages.

List of Emoticons

The most commonly used emoticon is the smiley face :) It can be used to reassure someone of your positive feelings. Here are some other examples of popular emoticons:

:D or 8D or XD -- laughing

=( or :( -- sad

>:( or X( -- angry

;) -- winking

:p or >:p -- sticking out tongue

:'( or :_( -- crying

>:o or 8O or :O -- surprised

:/ or =/ -- unsure or undecided

<3 -- heart

:@ or x@ -- screaming

xp or XP -- joking

=P or :P -- slightly frustrated

:$ -- embarrassed

Of course, with the growing popularity of emoticons, simple combinations of punctuation and symbols are no longer enough. Most major instant messaging programs, email systems, and social media sites will turn common emoticons into actual cartoon images! Even Microsoft Office has integrated cartoon emoticons. Here are just a few examples:

While emoticons can be helpful in conveying emotion, you must be also be careful. In personal messaging, using too many emoticons can be very annoying. Emoticons should never be used in official or business communications. After all, it's hard to be taken seriously when you have a cartoon figure punctuating your resume or work email.

As the Internet grows, emoticons are constantly changing. What are your favorite ones to use in personal messages?