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The Documentary: Two smiley faces: Episode one

Two Smiley Faces

03/07/2021 GMT

Two smiley faces: Episode one

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Two smiley faces: Episode one

How emojis have come to define us, and what they tell us about global communication

How emojis have come to define us, and what they tell us about global communication.

The emoji, invented in Japan in the 1990s, and now standardised on every device and platform we have, has become a new type of global communication. Whether you love them or hate them, they stir up surprisingly strong feelings and the fight for representation on the emoji keyboard can get very heated. In this first episode, we explore how for many of us, these cute symbols have become a natural part of our daily digital lives. We also meet two emoji lovers as they prepare to take on Silicon Valley and try to have their longed-for emoji approved. The BBC's Vivienne Nunis and Sarah Treanor will be your global emoji guides through this six-part series, and explain why the tiny pictures can lead to big emotions.

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