When can I use a smiley?
How often can I use smileys?
What do particular smiley faces mean?
The creation of texting has changed the way society communicates. We now have to ask and answer questions, comfort friends, and flirt in 160 characters or less. Â (Although many phones can send more characters than that, nobody really wants to write/read a novel and decipher its meaning. Â If you have that much to say, pick up the phone!) Â This constraint makes it incredibly difficult to show emotion and meaning, which is precisely why smiley faces are useful, they can help us decode the true meaning of a text. Â
Happy faces mean the same thing whether they look like: =) =] =} or any other variation. Likewise, a sad face is a sad face regardless of the mouth used. On the other hand, the capital d, “D,” for a mouth has a different implication.  =D shouts: “I am grinning from ear to ear!”  This smiley is an exceptionally happy smiley that should only be used if you truly have such exuberant feelings.  You do not want to get the receiver’s hopes up by sending a =D about your upcoming date when you really are only excited to get a little attention, and really only feeling =).
Sarcasm often does not read well through text; therefore, a sarcastic comment is perfectly accompanied by a smiley! Â It lets the reader know that your comment was not rude or malicious, but merely in friendly jest.
Example: “You look absolutely horrible!” Could be interpreted literally, whereas: “You look absolutely horrible! =P,” is interpreted as: “You could never look horrible; in fact, you look hot!!!”
The example above shows proper use of the stuck-out-tongue face.  This face is a great way to tease or joke with someone and serves as a universal funny face.  The resulting factor is usually laughter from the receiver, and who couldn’t use a little laughter in their lives?
Perhaps the most enigmatic smiley face is: =/.  The smiley with the slash (or backslash depending on your preference) has more than one meaning.  Luckily, these are easily interpreted based off of the context.  The slash smiley often relates to feelings of regret, an “uh-oh,” or an “oops, I did it again.” Â
Example: “I drunkenly texted my ex last night… =/”
In other instances, the slash smiley can be translated as a shrug.  More specifically, it can mean you either do not know, are not sure of the answer, or have no idea what the other person is even talking about.  Sometimes, this face can be used to express a quick “sorry,” meaning “I wish I could go/do (fill in the blank), but I’m not that upset.”
Flirting is a difficult task to conquer via text message.  The occasional smiley face shows interest. More specifically, the winky face means business!  Do not use a winky face if you are not interested in the person you are texting (unless it is a “friend-girl”).  A winky face always has, without fail, a sexual connotation.  Overuse can make you look desperate or slutty, which is an image none of you classy collegiettes™ want.  Beware of its use!
There are infinite ways to personalize your smiley faces. Â Their use is usually welcome with an actual smile of the text receiver; however, be wary of the amount of smileys you are sending to one person. Â Smiley overload is never fun, and even diminishes the intended emotion. Â If you send =) at the end of almost every text, when you send a text sans smiley, the receiver is bound to wonder whether you are mad at them. Â These simple miscommunications can be avoided by limiting your use of smileys to only their most commonly intended purposes!
Pass this article along to help educate everyone on smiley face etiquette. Â Make sure to pass it along to boys to avoid the inevitable confusion between the two sexes. Â You can also check out my article on How to Communicate With the Opposite Sex to get more help in this area!
Happy Texting! :)
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Edited by: Amy Coyle