Playful teasing is an ancient form of interaction that now occurs through computer-mediated communication. Teasing through short message service texting is examined conceptually and empirically in this dissertation. Teasing and computer-mediated communication are framed in the theoretical lens of social information processing in Chapter 1. The development of study materials and stimuli to examine teasing through texting, using iterative focus groups and online pilot data collection, are detailed in Chapter 2. The two studies that examined message features, social context, and rejection sensitivity in the context of playful teasing via texting are presented in Chapter 3. The influence of two commonly used message features (the “winking face with tongue” emoji and the “lol” initialism) on teasing text message interpretation, compared to unadorned texts, were investigated in Study 1. Rejection sensitivity was also examined in relation to interpretation. Texts with the emoji contributed to more positive interpretations compared to texts with the “lol” initialism or unadorned texts, providing the first evidence that emoji and initialism function differently in the context of teasing. The influence of social context (the sender-receiver relationship) on the interpretation of teasing texts, and the relationship between message interpretation and rejection sensitivity were examined in Study 2. Teasing texts sent by close friends were rated more positively than those from acquaintances. In both studies, higher rejection sensitivity was related to more negative interpretations of teasing texts, however, teasing texts with the emoji did not show this pattern. The studies’ findings are discussed in Chapter 4 in the context of social information processing theory and in practice, examining implications for individuals with rejection sensitivity and practices for text message composition.

The study explored how the use of Emojis – beyond being used just as playful joke markers and tone-setters – shape culture and identity within a community of practice. Through the means of two qualitative Focus Group interviews involving ten members from a local soccer team, the purpose was to examine in-depth participants’ motivations for using Emojis, and their feelings about the Emojis that they receive both within and outside their community. Results showed that Emojis – irrespective of shape – are understood as signs representing an individual’s inner positive energy and good will; when such signs are used regularly within a community, this contributes to that the community culture emerge as positive and friendly. Expanding on these findings, results also illustrated that Emojis are perceived as symbols of likeness towards the group and that they contribute to the shaping of open and permissive culture in which emotions are allowed to flow freely – an effect which seem to be transferred to their offline environment too. Drawing from theories of Cultural Psychology and Cultural Semiotics, the thesis presents an innovative view of Emojis as both products as well as producers of culture; products because they are graphic representations of emotions which become meaningful cultural signs when posted online, and producers because they affect members’ perception of reality within the community of practice. The thesis also conclude that the use of Emojis is closely linked to personality and identity; as identities are continuously shaped through the symbolic association of Emojis, this affect not only how members of a community perceive the individuals using them, but also how we perceive the community in which these identities circulate and operate. This finding paved the way for interesting future studies on personal identity building through Emoji use.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka människors upplevelser av emojis i textlig kommunikation. I studien tillämpades en kvalitativ metod för undersökningen i form av Braun och Clarkes (2006) Tematiska analys. Datainsamlingen bestod av tre fokusgrupper med fyra deltagare i varje grupp, varav elva deltagare var kvinnor och en delatagare var man. Den Tematiska analysen genererade tre teman: Första temat Emojikodens trygghet och osäkerhet beskriver deltagarna känslan av trygghet genom användning av specifika emojis som skapar en kod för att hantera olika relationer. Emojikoden kan även skapa osäkerhet då en relation utvecklas eftersom emojis kan tolkas på olika sätt. Andra temat Emojis förstärker eller mildrar budskap beskriver hur emojis upplevs påverka innebörden av budskapet. Det sista temat Emojis ersätter känslors ord beskriver effektiviteten genom emojis i textlig kommunikation men som också kan resultera i en överdrift. Emojis i textlig kommunikation är av stor betydelse då effekten av att använda den upplevs som möjligt att hantera relationer relationer och sociala roller. Hantering av relationer och sociala roller är viktigt för att stärka självkänslan och bibehålla självbilden. / The purpose of the study was to investigate people`s experiences of emojis in textual communication. The study used qualitative method for the study in the form of Braun and Clarkes (2006) Thematic analysis. The data collection consisted of three focus groups with four participants in each group, of witch eleven particpants were woman and one particpant was male. The Thematic analysis generated three themes: First theme The secuarity and uncertainty of the emojicode describes the particpants sense of security through the use of specific emojis that create a code to manage different relationship. The emojicode can also create uncertainty as a relationship developes because emojis can be interpreted in different ways. Other themes Emoji reinforce or mitigate messages describe how emojis are perceived to affect the meaning of the message. The last theme of Emoji replaces the words of emotion describing the effectiveness of emojis in textual communication but can also result in an exaggeration. Emoji in textual communication is of great importance as the effect of using them is perceived as possible to manage relationships and social roles. Managing relationships and social roles is important for strengthening self-esteem and maintaining self-image.

The aim of this study has been to investigate why children spend time on Youtube. The study tries to answer the question why by taking part of childrens thoughts on Youtube as a digital room and what kind of feelings and emotions they experience while spending time there. The study shows that the informants spend time on Youtube to learn things they themselves think of as useful and interesting, in an enjoyful way and together with others with whom they have a shared interest. The study also shows that the informants spend time on Youtube in order to experience strong feelings, both ’negative’ and ’positive’, and that many of these ’negative’ feelings are experienced to have a positive effect. The informants also spend time on Youtube because it is experienced as a safe ’place of their own’ and as a world free from adult norms and values. On Youtube children get to experience feelings and take part of information and perspectives that normally aren´t available to them on platforms specifically aimed at children. In the digital room Youtube, children’s content flow is defined by children´s needs and interests, not their age. Spending time on Youtube therefore gives children a possibility, if only for a short moment of time, to experience how it feels to not first and foremost be a child. Finally the study shows that Youtube is an important part of many children´s daily lives and a shared platform for discussion topics between peers. It is also a place that encourages both activity and creativity instead of only passive media consumption.

Denna undersökning vill fylla kunskapsluckan om huruvida emojier och ljud kan komplettera varandra i vardagssituationer där användare av sociala medier inte kan höra det tillhörande ljudet till videon som spelas upp på deras smarttelefon. I denna uppsats undersöks hur unga vuxna emojisätter två olika ljudmiljöer för att ta reda på vilka emoji-mönster som kan identifieras samt vad i ljudet som väcker associationer till de emojier som deltagarna valt ut. I denna vidare studie om emojier kopplat till de auditiva egenskaperna deltar deltagarna i experimentet genom enskilda intervjuer där deras egna associationer och intryck är det centrala att analysera. De två ljudmiljöerna som tillhör experimentet gestaltar en skog oc hett kök. I resultatet och slutsatsen diskuteras de konnotativa och denotativa valen som deltagarna gjort med sina emoji-sättningar samt hur de löste problemet med emoji-bristen genom att antingen välja kombinationer av emojier eller en enstaka emoji för att kommunicera det som uppfattades från de två olika ljudmiljöerna. Med detta arbete har jag fått fram vilka emojier som deltagarna hade valt gemensamt för att beskriva ljudmiljöerna. En kvantitativ vidare studie rekommenderas för att se om deltagarna i detta experiments emoji-mönstren kan appliceras på målgruppen i en större massa.

Under den rådande pandemin av Covid-19 har många fysiska möten och kommunikationenmed andra människor förflyttats till att istället ske via digitala plattformar på sociala medier. Syftet med föreliggande studie har varit att synliggöra hur bilder med tillhörande text på Instagram fungerar som kommunikation mellan fritidshem, vårdnadshavare och omvärldensamt hur bild med tillhörande text fungerar som representation av fritidshemmets verksamhet. Föreliggande studie grundas i kvalitativ forskningsmetod och socialsemiotisk teori. Empirin för studien har hämtats med netnografisk grund där vi som forskare har gått in i rollen som “lurker”. Empirin har inhämtats från tre utvalda fritidshems Instagramkonton. I en tolkningsprocess analyserar vi med hjälp av socialsemiotiska begrepp inlägg från de utvaldafritidshemmens Instagramkonton. Resultatet visar hur multimodala arrangemang kompletterarvarandra genom bild och text, som tillsammans skapar en helhet av vad verksamheten villsynliggöra, men även till viss del ensidig inblick i verksamheten. Vidare visar resultatet att elever i bilder inte kan representera verksamheten som subjekt eftersom fritidshemsverksamheten måste förhålla sig till regler som finns kring personuppgifter, och att pedagoger har olika lösningar kring avidentifiering.

This paper aimed to examine the use of emojis and emoticons in Twitter data. Therefore, the study utilized Twitter data on how emojis and emoticons were used in English in the Curators of Sweden project by Swedish individuals. Moreover, considering the fast and technology-filled world humans live in, new terms and concepts have emerged, such as CMC, a computer-mediated communication, namely, a form of communication or information conveyed through a digital and virtual mechanism, known in the postmodern world today as social media. Furthermore, the study showcased how individuals of both sexes use emojis and emoticons provided on Twitter to express themselves as a new form of virtual emotional language while also considering gender differences. The results of the study indicate that emojis and emoticons have been used extensively in Twitter data and play a huge role in expressing feelings and emotions in Twitter communication. While emojis and emoticons were used more frequently by females than males. The findings of this paper indicated the importance of ample space that social media, namely Twitter and its set of provided emojis and emoticons, occupy in lives. Thus, modern communication tools manifested in the virtual language emojis and emoticons, which in their role supported emotional communication. / nej

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