I’m a 56 year old professional woman. I write words for a living and, I’m proud to say, I’m damn good at it. So why is it that I can’t type a message on Facebook, Twitter, or any type of messenger without sticking one of these supercilious bastards on the end?
A while ago, I read an article by syndicated columnist James Fell,and it started me on an obsessive hunt for the true meaning of emoji in my social media world.
I didn’t like what I found.
A study done by Rice University in 2012 showed that women are twice as likely to use emoticons than men of the same age and economic background. And that specifically they are more likely to use smile, laugh, and heart emoji.
This study didn’t delve into the why’s, but in thinking about how I use emoji I think I’ve learned something.
As a woman of a ‘certain age,’ I was raised in the era where a woman was encouraged to be pleasant, polite, basically unnoticeable. If by any chance you did draw attention to yourself in a negative way, you were taught to deflect.
We also learned quickly that you can get away with saying almost anything as long as you put a smile at the end. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting, Dear?” or “Should you be eating that?” or Oh, you’re seeing him? ”
Whether it’s trying to discourage an over persistent suitor, ask a boss for a raise, or even just get someone to stop for milk on the way home. We are conditioned to sugarcoat things. Make them smiley and we might get our way. People will like us more and being liked either physically, socially, or professionally is the only way a woman is taught to judge her value.
Sorry if I’m ranty tonight, blog-world. But this is where my head is. Damn it all.
It’s much harder to feel these things than it was just to stuff them down. Now that I don’t have the food to stuff all this emotion back down with I’m having to look at it in a new light.
And if it’s poop – I need to call it poop.
Wombling and Wondering 