From Character Set To Memes:The Study On The Evolution Of Network Emoticons

The emoticon is an important phenomenon in the network.I try to use case study method and textual analysis,analyzing the default emoticons from Weibo,Wechat,QQ,BBS,Blog and different websites,as well as popular memes to study the evolution of emoticons.First of all,through a variety of literature and the observation of daily application,I divided the emoticons into character set,built-in default expression symbols and image emoticons,each category has its uniqueness and the relationship between them is not one replaced by another but co-existence.Different emoticons grow in different platforms,and its role from the auxiliary communication gradually evolved into alternative language(not completely replaced).Its' simplicity is the most important characteristics for entering the language system.Secondly,as a kind of symbol,I analyze its' signification.As a kind of network language,emoticons build its' style through different means,namely,bricoldge,homology,signifying practice and kichiku,and different style of symbols can make it more efficient in expressing their views.Finally,this paper analyzes the Communication significance of the emoticons.As the spokesperson of the users whom behind the screen,it can effectively express people's emotions,attitudes,etc.Its continuous development also makes its function continue to expand.At the same time,emoticons may also cause problems such as cyber violence,excessive entertainment,misinterpretation and the ability of expressing emotion may be impaired.