The term emoticons is the plural of the English word "emoticon", which in turn is derived from the words "emotion" (emotion) and "icon" (icon). Emoticons are pictures of human faces (turned sideways) made with dots, dashes, and other graphic symbols that are used in text messages to represent moods.

According to the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy RAE, emoticons are defined as: "a graphic symbol that is used in communications via email and serves to express the sender's state of mind."

However, the use of these symbols is not limited only to email, but the context includes SMS, blogs, forums, chats and everything that the internet world comprises.

According to research, emoticons became known in 1982, when the American Scott Fahlman, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, invented emoticons to recognize humorous messages and thus avoid confusing them with more serious messages. Fahlman never imagined the success he would have his proposal and spreading that level worldwide would have their smileys.

However, emoticons not only fulfill the function of expressing an emotion, but also fulfill the need that mobile or electronic communication often imposes, to do it in an abbreviated way, that is why an emoticon that communicates sadness or joy helps to be more specific in the message, helping to save characters.

Emoticons are part of a very informal language, which is not appropriate to use in all communications. Their importance lies in the fact that they can convey a large number of feelings, words and ideas.

Its use in everyday language has great value and that is why many experts in language and communication study it as a characteristic element of modern everyday life, in which ideas or emotions that are sometimes difficult to express in another can be synthesized way.

Here is a short list of the most used emoticons in messages: ☺ (smile) ,? (joy) ,? (wink) ,? (stick out tongue),: -O (surprise),: ´ ((cry).