Emoticons – Toward a cyborgization of Society?

Zelić, Marija. (2019). Emoticons – Toward a cyborgization of Society?. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Philosophy
Department of Sociology. [mentor Selak, Marija and Trako Poljak, Tijana].

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Abstract

The aim of this thesis is the analysis of the emoticon (and emoji) phenomenon and practice present on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. It is here that a certain critique is to be shown of such practice where complexity and naturality of human emotions is uniformed, rationalised, and codified into emoticon/emoji pictorial/sign symbols. Furthermore, here it is to be examined if the gradual development of social world goes toward one form of cybernetic society, and whether the ontological stronghold of the world nowadays become a virtual network of binary codes (0 and 1), while the society turns into networked-rationalised cyborg. This thesis wants to conclude that social interaction is ruled by a computer-rationalized format which leads to desensitised interchange of signs between social actors. By converting the emotion into emoticon (“symbol without reference”), we lose ourselves more and more as sensitive human beings, and instead have a tendency toward cyber-looking existence. In that sense, the key question that is trying to be answered here is – what are the consequences of such practice and does it degrade the humanity in ourselves?

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