Students are now studying EMOJIS in degrees at universities across the UK
IN a sign of the times, students are studying emojis at universities across the UK. The crackpot courses are being run as part of degrees in several subjects including language, marketing, psychology and even politics. It comes as would-MPs from all parties are turning to the digital symbols to get their pre-election messages across. Universities […]
IN a sign of the times, students are studying emojis at universities across the UK.
The crackpot courses are being run as part of degrees in several subjects including language, marketing, psychology and even politics.
It comes as would-MPs from all parties are turning to the digital symbols to get their pre-election messages across.
Universities with emojis on the syllabus include King’s College London, Edinburgh and Cardiff.
Dr Philip Seargeant, who lectures on them for the Open University, said: “The study of emojis can be seen as frivolous and childish.
“But it’s developing into a serious area of study in lots of different areas. There is also research going on.”
‘VISUAL SHORTHAND’
Prof Seargeant, who wrote the book The Emoji Revolution, said the symbols can teach us about the future of language as well as identity and modern politics.
In recent weeks the Conservatives have been using the “tick” emoji to highlight their policies before the General Election on December 12.
Labour have used various symbols to encourage people to register to vote.
Dr Seargeant said: “Along with memes and Instagram stories, we are definitely seeing a move in this election to a more visual shorthand way of communicating.”
Emojis arrived 20 years ago but were mainly used in Japan for the first decade.
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There are currently 3,178 — up from 625 in 2010.
Unlike other forms of language, they are strictly regulated by big tech companies.
New ones released last month included non-binary versions of human emojis.
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