| Emoticons system is currently a distinctive network application in terms of the methods people communicating and corporating through the Internet. Such system emerged with the demand of instant message, and eventually spread out as a phenomenal culture. Most users like it pretty much because of its fun, entertainment, participation, spontaneity, and rich scene application on major SNS networks. Wechat, an IM(Instat Message) application, provides primary but rich emoticons once it took off. As different types of emoticons are designed and developed by people then applied within diverse uses, emoticons gradually become a typical representation of the revolution and innovation of human culture on the Internet.Firstly, Wechat platform and the content generated by users have characteristics of viral propagation; on the other hand, the ecosystem consists of Wechat platform and UGC(User Generated Content) possess multiple features such as personal communication, group communication and mass communication. Those features as well as the richness of communicative means and fragmentation of content distribution afford Wechat ecosystem the contextual features of high timeliness, freedom of movement, multiplicity of identity, and convenience of communication.Secondly, WeChat emoticons system was generated by existing emoticons that was more mature and even popular. It passed through the QQ emoticons(a classical emoticons-Tuzki) period, user made period(GIF), the third party application period(emoticons factory), designer contributor period(less good works), brand customization period(good works in large numbers), thereby formed a mature WeChat emoticons operating model, and constructed a rich and diverse emoticons content. In addition, the actual usages of expression symbol were tightly associated with social events and seasons as well as user's age and living area.Thirdly, the two categories of emoticons that We Chat evolved into during propagation, including images and image animation, plays ideographic, position and constructing atmosphere functions. Those functions Wechat emoticons playing further enhanced the diversity of the network expression symbols, and expanded its range of communication then. In the same time, those functions were contributing important value to WeChat users, WeChat and virtual social networking. The expression emoticons in Wechat not only enriched the contexts as well as language of emotion in virtual communication and its enjoyment, but also advanced the interactivity of commercial brand, adhesiveness of users, and afforded more dimensions of profits for emoticons providers. Above all, the application of emoticons in Wechat desperately promoted the draft of values and attitudes in virtual communication, and furthermore reflected the affective state and value concept prevailing in all social classes.Fourthly, at present, the expression of WeChat in the communication symbols also came up with problems such as the excessiveness of entertainment, the violent tendency in abusive expressions, and the tendency of over commercialization. However, TMT analysts found that emoticons propagating in Wechat are now surviving in a series of problems to be solved, which not only affects the brand image of Wechat also exert a subtle influence on eroding people's ideological and moral, values and emotional concept and so on. Somehow, those problems even associate with the social behavior of people, threatening the social harmony and stability.Regard to those, the paper recommended Wechat platform to uphold the "long-term, sustained and comprehensive" principles, on the one hand to improve the function of custom emoticons, innovate the service model; on the other hand to dig deep cultural connotation, expand the performance space, purify the propagation environment. Thereby the works would imperceptibly change the application modes of Wechat in communication, and make virtual social space a "piece of pure land."... |
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