Emoticons are

Emoticons are typed symbols that communicate expressions and emotions in written messages.

They stand in for facial cues that plain text would otherwise miss.

Calling them emotional conferences confuses a symbol with a kind of meeting.

Describing them as expressive bodily gestures mistakes typed marks for physical movements.

Naming them emotional queries turns a display of feeling into a type of question.

Emoticons and emojis add a non-verbal layer to digital communication.