Using these emojis can get you fired in South Africa
Have you ever used one of these emojis in the workplace?
Have you ever received a message that contains an emoji you don't quite understand?
Do you consider messages sent without an emoji as "cold" or "unfriendly"?
Emojis have become a language of their own, and their use has taken on a whole new meaning in the past decade. It has now been revealed that the use of certain emojis can get you fired in South Africa.
LISTEN: Breakfast with Martin Bester is adding sound to your emojis
Speaking to BusinessTech, according to Forensic Linguist Dr Zakeera Docrat, the misinterpretation of certain emojis can often be damaging, especially when considering the cultural, relational, religious, and environmental conditions in which they're used.
A peach, a banana, or even a syringe emoji can get you into trouble.
READ: The dark meanings behind emojis your kids use
Whilst some emojis might seem harmless to your friends and family, they could take on a whole new meaning to colleagues who don't know you on a more personal level.
Here's a list of emojis and how they can be misinterpreted by a colleague:
- The "heart" emoji can be considered too "personal"
- The "eggplant" and "peach" emojis are interpreted as "sexual"
- The "wink" emoji can be interpreted as flirtatious
- The "thumbs up" emoji can be interpreted as passive-aggressive
Emojis are a language of their own - a form of slang - and are now at the centre of legal disputes, disciplinary hearings, and cases of misconduct in the workplace, thus calling for companies to include emoji guidelines in work policies.
As with most situations, context is everything, but the best way to protect yourself is by avoiding the use of emojis when texting colleagues that aren't aware of your communication style.
If you’re unsure about whether an emoji is appropriate, don’t use it. It’s better to write ‘thank you’ or ‘noted’ than risk being misunderstood.
Watch the video below about work conduct and calls for workplace emoji guidelines:
In 2014, Tracey Pickett's TEDx Talk mentioned how the emoji would become the language of the future:
The impact of emojis in society has even been a big topic of conversation amongst children and teens, as depicted in the hard-hitting Netflix series, Adolescence.
In the world of teenagers, it's more than cute little images; it's a language.
Watch this video on how the secret language of teens is all about the emojis:
Text communication has surpassed voice calls, which means that we all need to pay more attention to what we say.
In 2022, it was deemed that WhatsApp group admins could face legal implications for content shared within the group, increasing the need for caution and responsible use of social media platforms.
READ: WhatsApp group admins might face legal implications following updates
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