Emoji-power: the driving force behind a more inclusive digital world

The emoji. Love them or loathe them, you can't deny that over the past decade, they have laughed and cried and danced their way into our everyday communication.

From humble beginnings, they have grown into a vast world of digital representation, of pretty much anything you want them to represent. With every smartphone software update, the emoji has become more sure of its social purpose, representing hundreds of people, places, and items as well as human emotions. Today, you can even create an emoji of yourself for the ultimate in self representation.

We now live in a world where our youngest generations are born digital natives, with many 'fluent' in emoji usage. As incomprehensible as this might seem to the uninitiated (and that's without throwing memes and gifs into the mix!), there is a perhaps unexpected and potentially game changing side effect of the 'rise of the emoji'; an opportunity to celebrate diversity, be more inclusive, and achieve a wide representation of what is possible. In this way, the emoji becomes so much more than an alternative communication tool, but a powerful conduit of social impact.

Take the recent Virgin Atlantic x Barbie collaboration. Girls are typically under-represented in STEM subjects, and aviation too, with the female pilot set of emojis one of the less frequently used. The #SeeHerFly campaign sets about changing this, encouraging girls to consider the variety of careers available to them. This campaign includes a range of Barbies in both cabin crew and pilot roles - just 2 of Barbie's many possible careers!

The range of female professionals depicted as emojis is a great way to role model - if girls grow up with female pilots, doctors, scientists, and more in their 'online' lives as well as their 'offline' lives, there there is hope that traditionally 'unavailable' career choices will become more accessible.

There are numerous other examples of emojis which serve as powerful reflections on society today. Two examples: the evolving definition of 'family', and the variations in what family can mean, and look like, to different people. The green heart being adopted as a symbol of the de-stigmatisation of mental health.

It's fair to say the emoji has had much success in its ability to uniquely capture so much of the human experience. As the emoji's role in our digitally integrated society evolves, the door is open to more sophisticated, multi layered communication and representation. As it is open to emojis becoming an anchor around which social causes can raise awareness and be a force for good.

So, as the world moves on from one decade into the next...the emoji's onward journey and contribution to a more inclusive digital world is surely one to watch!