Why do messages without emojis seem cold and unfeeling to us?

(Patria) - No matter how much emojis sometimes seem like just small yellow decorations in messages, our brain clearly perceives them much more seriously than we think.

A new study published in the journal "Psychophysiology" shows that the human brain, in the first moments, almost doesn't distinguish an emoji from a real human face, reports Index.

In other words, when we see a smiling, angry, or sad emoji in a message, the brain doesn't react as if it's looking at an ordinary drawing. On the contrary, in a fraction of a second, it behaves as if it's looking at a real face.

Researchers from Bournemouth University monitored participants' brain activity as they looked at photographs of human faces and emojis depicting various emotions, from happiness and sadness to anger and neutral expressions.

They used EEG caps with 64 sensors, and the results showed that the brain's reactions to real faces and emojis were surprisingly similar.

An emoji triggered a reaction after approximately 70 milliseconds, while a real face took about 120 milliseconds. This might sound like a difference on paper, but for the brain, it's a very short time.

In short, as soon as it sees eyes, a mouth, and a clear emotion, the brain immediately starts doing its work. This might explain why emojis "sit" so well with us in correspondence.

Messages without them can sometimes seem cold, serious, or even passive-aggressive, even if that was not someone's intention at all. A simple smiley face at the end of a sentence often changes the entire tone of the message.

Of course, the brain isn't fooled that easily. After the initial reaction, it recognizes the difference between a real face and a drawn symbol.

Real human faces still activate certain neural pathways more strongly, but emojis have their advantage – their emotions are often exaggerated and very clear.

That's why a sad, angry, or smiling emoji can sometimes convey a message faster than a whole sentence.

In digital communication, where there is no tone of voice, facial expression, or body language, emojis actually act as a small piece of humanity.

And precisely because of that, they are not just a cute addition to messages. They are a shortcut by which we try to show how we feel, soften what we write, or add a little warmth to the message.

And if this study is to be believed, our brain takes them much more seriously than we might admit.