Digital Technologies Research and Applications

Article

The Pragmatic and Semiotic Role of Emojis in Contemporary Digital Communication

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https://doi.org/10.54963/dtra.v5i2.2254
Alshaboul, N. K. (2026). The Pragmatic and Semiotic Role of Emojis in Contemporary Digital Communication. Digital Technologies Research and Applications, 5(2), 50–62. https://doi.org/10.54963/dtra.v5i2.2254
Volume 5 Issue 2: June 2026 (in progress)
Copyright (c) 2026 Nashat Kassab Alshaboul
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Authors

  • Nashat Kassab Alshaboul

    School of Arts and Languages, Jadara University, Irbid 21110, Jordan

Received: 7 January 2026; Revised: 13 February 2026; Accepted: 25 February 2026; Published: 13 April 2026

The paper is located within the dynamic relationship between language and computing, with the central objective being an increase in knowledge about how individuals interact with digitally mediated communication. Precisely, the paper attempts to explore the use of emojis as a tool of the digitally mediated communication system from a linguistic perspective, especially within the pragmatic and socio-linguistic framework among Jordanian university students. The main objectives involve four dimensions: determining the usage of emojis by members of this community, explaining subjects' tendencies towards emojis while conducting online discourse, understanding the meanings of a selected list of emojis derived from the subjects' point of view, and exploring possible gender differences within the Jordanian culture. Methodologically, this work followed the triangulation approach, wherein three research instruments were used: an online survey distributed across the sample population, consisting of 500 Jordanian university students from both genders, corpus analysis; and expert interviews. The sociolinguistic aspect of the analysis revealed that demographic focused on gender as a social variable regarding, some effects on emoji preferences and interpretations among participants. Finally, it contextualizes its findings within the general theoretical framework provided by three functional language, in relation to the phatic, conative, and expressive functions situated within a Jordanian cultural context. It finds the end by placing at the forefront of interest the dire need for interdisciplinary collaborations in exploring digitally mediated communication from linguistic vantages, particularly against a changing landscape where language and technology are crossed.

Keywords:

Emojis Sociolinguistic Synonymous Interpretations Functions of language Gender Differences

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