1887
image of Flirting and winking in Tinder chats

Abstract

Abstract

Existing research across the diverse field(s) of ‘discourse studies’ has started to explore the communicative orders and sequential practices surrounding emoji use ( ). However, researchers have not yet systematically analysed one of the demonstrable phenomena of emoji, which is their ambiguity as meaning-making devices ( ). This study draws on Conversation Analysis to explore the issue of ambiguity in the use of one particular type of emoji, the wink (e.g., 😉, 🥴, 😜). Drawing on a data corpus of text conversations in Danish and in Spanish by users of the dating app ‘Tinder’, the analysis explores the phenomena of ambiguity in relation to the practice of flirting. The paper highlights four possible sources of ambiguity: idiosyncratic use, semiotic references, sequential placement, and relationship to ambiguous textual actions. The paper ends with reflections on possible future areas of research in the study of emoji and communication.

Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/ip.00107.gib
2024-02-15
2024-10-08
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/10.1075/ip.00107.gib/ip.00107.gib.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/ip.00107.gib&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Alshenqeeti, Hamza
    2016 “Are emojis creating a new or old visual language for new generations? A socio-semiotic study.” Advances in Language and Literacy Studies(): –. 10.7575/aiac.alls.v.7n.6p.56
    https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.7n.6p.56 [Google Scholar]
  2. Attardo, Salvatore, Jodi Eisterhold, Jennifer Hay, and Isabella Poggi
    2003 “Multimodal markers of irony and sarcasm.” Humor: International Journal of Humor Research(): –. 10.1515/humr.2003.012
    https://doi.org/10.1515/humr.2003.012 [Google Scholar]
  3. Aull, Bethany
    2019 “A study of phatic emoji use in WhatsApp communication.” Internet Pragmatics(): –. 10.1075/ip.00029.aul
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00029.aul [Google Scholar]
  4. Baron, Naomi S.
    2004 “See you online: Gender issues in college student use of instant messaging.” Journal of Language and Social Psychology(): –. 10.1177/0261927X04269585
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0261927X04269585 [Google Scholar]
  5. Berkowitz, Dana, Justine Tinkler, Alana Peck, and Lynnette Coto
    2021 “Tinder: A game with gendered rules and consequences.” Social Currents(): –. 10.1177/23294965211019486
    https://doi.org/10.1177/23294965211019486 [Google Scholar]
  6. Danesi, Marcel
    2016The Semiotics of Emoji: The Rise of Visual Language in the Age of the Internet. London: Bloomsbury.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Ditchfield, Hannah
    2020 “Behind the screen of Facebook: Identity construction in the rehearsal stage of online interaction.” New Media & Society(): –. 10.1177/1461444819873644
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819873644 [Google Scholar]
  8. Dresner, Eli, and Susan C. Herring
    2010 “Functions of the nonverbal in CMC: Emoticons and illocutionary force.” Communication Theory: –. 10.1111/j.1468‑2885.2010.01362.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2885.2010.01362.x [Google Scholar]
  9. Fitzgerald, Richard, William Housley, and Carly Butler
    2009 “Omnirelevance and interactional context.” Australian Journal of Communication(): –.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Gawne, Lauren, and Gretchen McCulloch
    2019 “Emoji as digital gestures.” Language@Internet, , article. https://www.languageatinternet.org/articles/2019/gawne (accessed6 June 2020).
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Ge-stadnyk, Jing
    2021 “Communicative functions of emoji sequences in the context of self-presentation: A comparative study of Weibo and Twitter users.” Discourse & Communication(): –. 10.1177/17504813211002038
    https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813211002038 [Google Scholar]
  12. Ge, Jing, and Susan C. Herring
    2018 “Communicative functions of emoji sequences on Sina Weibo.” First Monday(). 10.5210/fm.v23i11.9413
    https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v23i11.9413 [Google Scholar]
  13. Gibson, Will, Pingping Huang, and Qianyun Yu
    2018 “Emoji and communicative action: The semiotics, sequence and gestural actions of ‘face covering hand’.” Discourse, Context & Media: –. 10.1016/j.dcm.2018.05.005
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2018.05.005 [Google Scholar]
  14. Giles, David, Wyke Stommel, Trena Paulus, Jessica Lester, and Darren Reed
    2015 “Microanalysis of online data: The methodological development of ‘digital CA’.” Discourse, Context & Media: –. 10.1016/j.dcm.2014.12.002
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2014.12.002 [Google Scholar]
  15. Grosz, Patrick Georg, Gabriel Greenberg, Christian De Leon, and Elsi Kaiser
    2023 “A semantics of face emoji in discourse.” Linguistics and Philosophy(): –. 10.1007/s10988‑022‑09369‑8
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s10988-022-09369-8 [Google Scholar]
  16. Herring, Susan C., and Ashley Dainas
    2017 “‘Nice picture comment!’: Graphicons in Facebook comment threads.” InProceedings of the Fiftieth Hawai’i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-50), –. Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE. 10.24251/HICSS.2017.264
    https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2017.264 [Google Scholar]
  17. Hewson, Claire, Carl Vogel, and Dianna Laurent
    2015Internet Research Methods. London: Sage.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Hopper, Robert
    2002Gendering Talk. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Jaeger, Sara R., Yixun Xia, Pui-Yee Lee, Denise C. Hunter, Michelle K. Beresford, and Gastón Ares
    2017 “Emoji questionnaires can be used with a range of population segments: Findings relating to age, gender and frequency of emoji/emoticon use.” Food Quality and Preference: –. 10.1016/j.foodqual.2017.12.011
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2017.12.011 [Google Scholar]
  20. Jones, Graham M., and Bambi B. Schieffelin
    2009 “Talking text and talking back: ‘My BFF Jill’ from Boob Tube to YouTube.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication(): –. 10.1111/j.1083‑6101.2009.01481.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01481.x [Google Scholar]
  21. Komrsková, Zuzana
    2015 “The use of emoticons in polite phrases of greetings and thanks.” International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business and Industrial Engineering(): –.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. König, K.
    2019 “Stance taking with ‘laugh’ particles and emojis – Sequential and functional patterns of ‘laughter’ in a corpus of German WhatsApp chats.” Journal of Pragmatics: –. 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.01.008
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2019.01.008 [Google Scholar]
  23. Korobov, Neill, and Justin Laplante
    2013 “Using improprieties to pursue intimacy in speed-dating interactions.” Red Fame(): –. 10.11114/smc.v1i1.49
    https://doi.org/10.11114/smc.v1i1.49 [Google Scholar]
  24. Li, Li, and Yue Yang
    2018 “Pragmatic functions of emoji in internet-based communication: A corpus-based study.” Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education(): –. 10.1186/s40862‑018‑0057‑z
    https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-018-0057-z [Google Scholar]
  25. Licoppe, Christian
    2020 “Liquidity and attachment in the mobile hookup culture: A comparative study of contrasted interactional patterns in the main uses of Grindr and Tinder.” Journal of Cultural Economy(): –. 10.1080/17530350.2019.1607530
    https://doi.org/10.1080/17530350.2019.1607530 [Google Scholar]
  26. Lo, Shao-Kang
    2008 “The nonverbal communication functions of emoticons in computer-mediated communication.” CyberPsychology & Behavior(): –. 10.1089/cpb.2007.0132
    https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.0132 [Google Scholar]
  27. Lu, Ying, and Jan Blommaert
    2020 “Understanding memes on Chinese social media: Biaoqing.” Chinese Language and Discourse(): –. 10.1075/cld.20009.lu
    https://doi.org/10.1075/cld.20009.lu [Google Scholar]
  28. Markman, and Sae Oshima
    2007 “Pragmatic play? Some possible functions of English emoticons and Japanese kaomoji in computer-mediated discourse.” InProceedings of the Association of Internet Researchers Annual Conference 8.0: Let’s Play! 18 October, –. Vancouver, BC Canada.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Márquez Reiter, Rosina, and David M. Frohlich
    2020 “A pragmatics of intimacy.” Internet Pragmatics(): –. 10.1075/ip.00044.mar
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00044.mar [Google Scholar]
  30. Meredith, Joanne, David Giles, and Wyke Stommel
    2021Analysing Digital Interaction. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1007/978‑3‑030‑64922‑7
    https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64922-7 [Google Scholar]
  31. Miller, Hannah, Jacob Thebault-Spieker, Shuo Chang, Isaac Johnson, Loren Terveen, and Brent Hecht
    2016 “‘Blissfully happy’ or ‘ready to fight’: Varying interpretations of emoji.” Proceedings of the Tenth International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM 2016): –.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Mortensen, Kristine Køhler
    2017 “Flirting in online dating: Giving empirical grounds to flirtatious implicitness.” Discourse Studies(): –. 10.1177/1461445617715179
    https://doi.org/10.1177/1461445617715179 [Google Scholar]
  33. Motschenbacher, Heiko
    2020 “Coming out – seducing – flirting: Shedding light on sexual speech acts.” Journal of Pragmatics: –. 10.1016/j.pragma.2020.09.014
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2020.09.014 [Google Scholar]
  34. Parkwell, Corina
    2019 “Emoji as social semiotic resources for meaning-making in discourse: Mapping the functions of the toilet emoji in Cher’s Tweets about Donald Trump.” Discourse, Context & Media, . 10.1016/j.dcm.2019.100307
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2019.100307 [Google Scholar]
  35. Paulus, Trena, Amber Warren, and Jessica Nina Lester
    2016 “Applying conversation analysis methods to online talk: A literature review.” Discourse, Context & Media: –. 10.1016/j.dcm.2016.04.001
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2016.04.001 [Google Scholar]
  36. Petitjean, Cécile, and Etienne Morel
    2017 “‘Hahaha’: Laughter as a resource to manage WhatsApp conversations.” Journal of Pragmatics: –. 10.1016/j.pragma.2017.01.001
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2017.01.001 [Google Scholar]
  37. Pojanapunya, Punjaporn, and Kandaporn Jaroenkitboworn
    2011 “How to say ‘good-bye’ in second life.” Journal of Pragmatics: –. 10.1016/j.pragma.2011.08.010
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2011.08.010 [Google Scholar]
  38. Radley, Alan
    2003 “Flirting.” InDiscourse, the Body, and Identity, ed. byJustine Coupland, and Richard Gwyn, –. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. 10.1057/9781403918543_4
    https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403918543_4 [Google Scholar]
  39. Rintel, Sean
    2015 “Omnirelevance in technologised interaction: Couples coping with video calling distortions.” InAdvances in Membership Categorization Analysis, ed. byRichard Fitzgerald, and William Housley, –. London: Sage. 10.4135/9781473917873.n6
    https://doi.org/10.4135/9781473917873.n6 [Google Scholar]
  40. Roca-Cuberes, Carles, Will Gibson, and Michael Mora-Rodriguez
    2023 “Relationship initiation and formation in post-match Tinder chat conversations.” Discourse & Communication(): –. 10.1177/17504813231156118
    https://doi.org/10.1177/17504813231156118 [Google Scholar]
  41. Rosaldo, Michelle Z.
    1982 “The things we do with words: Ilongot speech acts and speech act theory in philosophy.” Language in Society(): –. 10.1017/S0047404500009209
    https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500009209 [Google Scholar]
  42. Sacks, Harvey, Emanuel A. Schegloff, and Gail Jefferson
    1974 “A simplest systematics for the organization of turn-taking for conversation.” Language(): –. 10.1353/lan.1974.0010
    https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.1974.0010 [Google Scholar]
  43. Sampietro, Agnese
    2016a “Emoticonos y Emojis: Análisis de Su Historia, Difusión y Uso En La Comunicación Digital Actual [Emoticons and emojis: Analysis of their history, diffusion and use in current digital communication].” PhD dissertation, University of Valencia. roderic.uv.es/bitstream/handle/10550/53873/SAMPIETRO_TESIS_OK_2016.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y (accessed4 March 2020).
  44. 2016b “Emoticonos y Multimodalidad. El Uso Del Pulgar Hacia Arriba En Whatsapp [Emoticons and multimodality: The use of the thumbs up on Whatsapp].” Aposta Revista de Ciencias Sociales: –. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=5431487. (accessed6 July 2021).
    [Google Scholar]
  45. 2016c “Exploring the punctuation effect of emoji in Spanish WhatsApp chats.” Lenguas Modernas: –.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. 2019 “Emoji and rapport management in Spanish WhatsApp chats.” Journal of Pragmatics: –. 10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.009
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2019.02.009 [Google Scholar]
  47. 2021 “Emojis and the performance of humour in everyday electronically-mediated conversation: A corpus study of WhatsApp chats.” Internet Pragmatics(): –. 10.1075/ip.00062.samp
    https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00062.samp [Google Scholar]
  48. Schnoebelen, Tyler Joseph
    2012 “Emoticons are relational: Positioning and the use of affective linguistic resources.” PhD dissertation, University of Stanford. https://stacks.stanford.edu/file/druid:fm335ct1355/Dissertation_Schnoebelen_final_8-29-12-augmented.pdf (accessed9 July 2019).
  49. Skovholt, Karianne, Anette Grønning, and Anne Kankaanranta
    2014 “The communicative functions of emoticons in workplace e-mails: :-).” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication(): –. 10.1111/jcc4.12063
    https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12063 [Google Scholar]
  50. Speer, Susan A.
    2017 “Flirting: A designedly ambiguous action?” Research on Language and Social Interaction(): –. 10.1080/08351813.2017.1301297
    https://doi.org/10.1080/08351813.2017.1301297 [Google Scholar]
  51. Stokoe, Elizabeth
    2010 “‘Have you been married, or …?’: Eliciting and accounting for relationship histories in speed-dating interaction.” Research on Language and Social Interaction(): –. 10.1080/08351813.2010.497988
    https://doi.org/10.1080/08351813.2010.497988 [Google Scholar]
  52. Whitty, Monica Therese
    2003 “Cyber-flirting playing at love on the internet.” Theory & Psychology(): –. 10.1177/0959354303013003003
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354303013003003 [Google Scholar]
  53. Yus, Francisco
    2014 “Not all emoticons are created equal.” Linguagem em (Dis)curso(): –. 10.1590/1982‑4017‑140304‑0414
    https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-4017-140304-0414 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/ip.00107.gib
Loading
/content/journals/10.1075/ip.00107.gib
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: Conversation Analysis ; emoji ; ambiguity ; flirting ; Tinder
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error