The rise of stickers on WhatsApp and the evolution of digital communication
Abstract
Stickers are small images or animations that accompany digital interactions on WhatsApp or other instant messaging applications. Given their growing use, Konrad et al. (2020) consider that they will eventually replace the usage of emojis. This paper analyses the popularity of stickers among young people, the causes that led to their acceptance, and potential linguistic changes currently occurring in digital communication. The survey was conducted among young people (mostly university students) in Spain. According to the results, emojis are still the most popular visual resource on WhatsApp, though young people strongly prefer stickers. These are used primarily because they are perceived as funny and can be customised. Additionally, the stickers compiled for this paper show attributes in common with some genres of humorous memes. These results are finally interpreted in the framework of linguistic change.
Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
