Examining uses of selected WhatsApp emojis as a communication tool among the youth: A case of Non-Metropolitan College

Abstract

Communication is regarded as one of the most important activities for human beings as it allows them to pass messages from one another in society and generate more knowledge as they live together. With the advancement of technology and society, WhatsApp has firmly established itself as a popular social media platform. It has become one of the most widely used communication tools among people, especially the youth. WhatsApp has many features that can pass messages from the sender to the receiver, such as written words, recorded audio and videos, audio and video calls as well as emojis. Emojis are features that aid in better understanding what is written in a text. However, emojis often create ambiguity instead of reducing it because their meanings are so uncertain that they are indistinguishable from randomly chosen descriptions. Although emojis can be used to convey a whole message, they may occasionally be misinterpreted since some of the meanings are socially constructed. This qualitative study used purposive judgemental sampling to select the youth participants among non-metropolitan TVET college students who responded to the semi-structured open-ended questionnaires. At the same time, semiotic analysis was adopted to examine popular WhatsApp emojis among the youth. The findings were coded and analysed descriptively according to the study objectives. Content analysis is the selected data analysis tool. Participants demonstrated a strong grasp of the meanings of various emoticons, indicating that they frequently use these symbols to express emotions and enhance communication in their chat activities. The study also highlighted that the interpretation and usage of emojis is significantly influenced by cultural contexts, suggesting that students adapt their emoji use based on social relationships and situational factors.