From Symbols to Emojis: Analyzing Visual Communication Trends on Social Media

Abstract

This study explores the transformative role of emojis in digital communication, focusing on their use on Facebook and Instagram. Using a dual theoretical lens of social constructivist theory and visual semiotics, the research examines how emojis function as socially constructed symbols that convey emotions, enhance textual communication, and foster cultural connections. Social constructivist theory emphasizes the collaborative construction of meaning, while visual semiotics focuses on the cultural and contextual interpretations of visual signs, including emoticons.

The analysis includes a dataset of 66,053 comments, with 29,628 from Facebook and 36,425 from Instagram, collected using purposive sampling methods. Text mining and natural language processing (NLP) techniques were used to identify and interpret emoji usage patterns, revealing Instagram as the dominant platform for emoji-based communication, accounting for 55.17% of the data. The study shows that emojis serve as essential tools for expressing emotions, building connections, and transcending language barriers, contributing to the emergence of a universal visual language.

The findings suggest that emoji are not only replacing textual elements, but also adding layers of emotional depth, clarity, and cultural nuance to digital interactions. Popular emojis such as the "face with tears of joy" and the "heart" are universally used, but exhibit contextual variations across platforms. This research underscores the growing importance of visual communication in the digital age and calls for further exploration of the cultural, linguistic, and communicative implications of emoji use on global digital discourse.