Emoticons

Emoticons are combinations of keyboard characters used to express emotions or reactions in written communication, often appearing in casual texts or online messages. They serve as visual cues to convey tone or mood that might otherwise be unclear in plain text. For example, :-) indicates happiness, while :-( suggests sadness. Emoticons help add emotional context, making digital interactions more expressive and engaging. Over time, many have evolved into graphical emojis, but the basic keyboard-based symbols still remain a common way to communicate feelings succinctly in digital dialogue.