A plethora of new emojis will be released this year.
With 230 options, users will be able to experience the excitement of having new options to send in a text message and finally to able to express their emotions with the emojis they have been waiting for.
Lindsay Trombly | Argonaut
These options will include a sloth, waffle and even a Hindu temple.
As much as having a sloth option for an emoji excites me — other possible options are worth even more. In the 2019 update users are expected to have options featuring people with disabilities, more gender-inclusive relationships and are also able to choose different mixed skin tones for their emojis.
These changes are — even if in a small way — creating change. Emojis are tiny works of art. They will and are creating a social movement because Apple is broadening its horizons and letting the community know that physical human differences help create diversity.
Even emojis can help us recognize different cultures and diversity across the world.
Starting in 2014, emojis only featured white character and creators weren’t aware of the possible diversity roles these emojis could potentially take on. The emojis released back then include the white woman salsa dancing and also the white police officer’s head — two emojis we all know well by now.
Just one year later after emojis starting taking off, Apple decided to add in the option to send a shite skin tone or black skin tone character through text message, or even a black woman or white woman emoji in 2015.
Progress began there, but it also stalled for a few years.
Business took off and the popularity of emojis evolved. In 2016 and beyond emojis became more than just an image. They feature different genders, skin color options and various relationship dynamics.
Apple recognized the need to showcase differences through messaging.
Having these specific new and diverse emojis released proves society through technology is taking strides to better itself.
Apple is taking an important step by adding in these new emojis — regardless of the possible backlash, they might encounter.
Sending and typing up text with the perfect emoji is quite difficult with all the options, yet still being culturally accurate. Emojis were invented six years ago and finally in 2019 users will be able to find that perfect emoji to end their text message.
But there is more to these emojis then just being pixels and attached to text messages, it shows that society is finally taking strides to acknowledge diversity and treating society as equals.
Lindsay Trombly can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lindsay_trombly