Jiayi Zhang:Entry 7 by Jiayi Zhang

Jiayi Zhang Entry 7

Jiayi_Zhang_3747 — 2022-04-14 23:43:54 UTC

I'd like to choose 🍕 as referential function when it is used to express a slice of Pizza, "the famous and nutritious Italian meal, loved by millions of people all over the World for its taste and diversity" accroding to the emojis wiki.

My example is from the social media account @pizzahut X. These pizza emoji are not expressing the speaker's emotions, but rather is being used to directly refer to actual pizza slices as part of a humorous way. Each 🍕 represents a slice of pizza, and the variations in the number of slices make up a “pizza schedule,” so this is a typical referential function.

I find that this emoji is used effectively and successfully, as it is clear to see what 🍕 refers to with humor. Also it is appropriate to use it to fit the account’s identity as a pizza chain brand.

Phatic Function

Jiayi_Zhang_3747 — 2025-05-13 14:09:17 UTC

I would like to pick as an emoji 👀 with phatic function, atypical though as it is related to humans and their bodies. However, I believe that it can also means "have a look," and the emojis wiki also mentions that "[i]t also represents sneaking, surveillance, and Stalking, conveys intrigue, and metaphorically denotes attention, anticipation, and tension."

The example was produced by myself from a personal WeChat conversation in 2023, when I asked "Is it okay if I move out on 6/30?" I used it for phatic function as it did not have any new content about the rental dates. Instead, I was trying to create a friendly atmosphere by expressing hopeful anticipation and politeness. As a result, I got a postive feedback from my roommate.

directive function

Jiayi_Zhang_3747 — 2025-05-13 14:38:28 UTC

According to emojis wiki, the 👉 Backhand Index Pointing Right emoji "doesn't have a specific meaning and is typically used to draw attention to something important. For instance, it might be used at the start of a message or statement that everyone needs to pay attention to." I belive it function as directive because it serves to guide the user to take action, as well as more noticeable and friendlier.

I choose the example from @premium on X: “so we’re introducing longer Tweets! you’re gonna want to check this out. tap this 👉”, and I belive it is successful that it corresponds to the role and casuality of the platform and helps direct user attention to what they should do next by reading following paragraph.