Emoticon er et udtryk, der bruges til at beskrive symbolerne og/eller karakterer, der bruges til at repræsentere følelsesmæssigt udtryk i tekstbeskeder, sociale medieindlæg og online kommunikationsrum. Emoticons are graphical representations of facial expressions, gestures, or objects used in electronic messages. They are commonly called "emojis" and are recognized as a form of non-verbal communication in digital spaces.

Examples of emoticons include the Smiley face 😊, Heart ❤, or Thumbs Up 👍. These visual representations help convey emotions, tone, or context to a text-only message. Emoticons can express feelings, indicate reactions, or enhance the overall meaning and tone of a communication.

Initially, emoticons were created using combinations of keyboard characters, such as punctuation marks and letters. Men med fremkomsten af ​​smartphones og sociale medieplatforme har emotikoner udviklet sig til at omfatte meget detaljerede grafikbilleder, animeret grafik (GIF'er) og endda emoji -figurer, der udtrykker en lang række følelser, genstande og koncepter.

Emoticons play an important role in digital communication, especially where facial expressions and body language are missing. They enhance the understanding and interpretation of messages, foster a sense of connection, and add emotional context to conversations.