These Things May Seem The Same, But They Have Some Pretty Important Differences

Only 90’s Kids Will Remember Emoticons

PARIS, FRANCE – FEBRUARY 14: In this photo illustration, Emoji or emoticon representing, a heart, champagne glasses and heart-shaped eyes are displayed on the screen of an iPhone on Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2018 in Paris, France. Saint Valentine’s Day is recognized as a celebration of love and romance in many regions around the world. (Photo by Chesnot/Getty Images)

Photo credit: Chesnot/Getty Images

Before emojis took over the world, there was the good-old emoticon. Anyone who lived through the AOL and MSN Messenger days knows what I’m talking about. These were the original emojis that had to be typed out to look like the face you wanted. There were the basic smiley faces, :-), and the face with the sunglasses, B-), but some of the more complicated ones like the shrug guy, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, can still be found in the catacombs of Reddit.

Emojis may not be as nostalgic, but they’re way easier to use and have a lot more options. Emoji has even turned into its own language with Duolingo offering an entire course for parents to learn.

Next, refocus your hatred of bees on the real culprit, the wasp.