The memoji-mask
Face and expressiveness in digital culture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18861/ic.2025.20.2.4111Keywords:
memojis, emojis, face, digital culture, semioticsAbstract
This article reflects on graphic representations of the face in the digital environment through an analysis of digital avatars known as memojis, which have evolved from emojis by allowing the user's face to be personalized. Unlike conventional emojis, which express emotions in a standardized way, memojis make it possible to create customized avatars, incorporating the individual's physical characteristics. In addition, they can be used not only in text messages, but also to replace profile photos or faces in video interactions. Using a theoretical approach to digital culture and contemporary subjectivity, this study examines Apple's memojis through the lens of Peircean semiotics. The hypothesis guiding the work suggests that replacing the real face with a memoji could enhance expressiveness and individuality, although it also carries risks of homogenization. We conclude that these figures can be used as masks in increasingly sophisticated communication practices, but still in a limited manner, since they are based on an essentially optimistic perspective in a somewhat idealized world.
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References
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