USE OF EMOJIS AS DISCOURSE MARKERS IN WHATSAPP CONVERSATIONS: A MULTIMODAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The research examines the modality role of emojis through communication
between Saudi mothers between 35 and 55 years old and their daughters between 18 and
25 years old, through their WhatsApp interactions, using urban/suburban bilingual speech
patterns. NVivo analysis together with the snowball sampling method help investigate the
connection between emojis, text, images and cultural patterns in multicultural
communications. Emojis stand essential for communication, because they serve crucially
as discourse markers that help people communicate emotions and build relationships while
transmitting cultural messages. Text messages with emojis become easier to understand, as
they simplify meaning ambiguities and demonstrate the users’ abilities to respond flexibly
to both age-related and regional differences. The research demonstrates how linguistic
elements, digital platforms and cultural identity features combine to form emoji patterns
which generate vital information for digital interaction theory and platform development
research. Future investigations must analyse the use of emojis across different digital
platforms, in a wide range of cultural environments, to understand their function in
smoothing emotional and cultural differences within digital communications.