10 Powerful Symbols in the Digital Age
Reading is deciphering and interpreting what one sees. In the digital era, we “read” that which surrounds us every day, and it is surely not in the form of words but symbols that are a universal language.
The following symbols have emerged along with the new media and they are something people are familiar with and which have become part of their daily life without them knowing.
1 Hashtag (#)
Reading is deciphering and interpreting what one sees. In the digital era, we “read” that which surrounds us every day, and it is surely not in the form of words but symbols that are a universal language.
The following symbols have emerged along with the new media and they are something people are familiar with and which have become part of their daily life without them knowing.
2 Like
Pressing a ‘Like’ button has become part of the digital life because most digital citizens are Facebook users and the sign has been synonymous with this world’s most popular social network. The Facebook’s most well-known feature can have multiple meanings besides expressing appreciation of something online. Users use it to show they agree, understand, feel sorry, feel bored or just let friends know that they have read their messages.
3 Wi-fi
Wi-Fi is a wireless broadband connection that allows users to connect to the internet without using any cables. Wi-Fi hotspots are found in office buildings and at public places such as airports, coffee shops and hotels. Like mobile phones, a Wi-Fi network makes use of radio waves to transmit information across a network.
4 Share
Social networking is all about information sharing and connecting with other people. Social network users worldwide are familiar with the share icon.
5 @
Ray Tomlinson, a US computer engineer, is the reason there is an '@' symbol in our e-mail address. He is the first person to find a way to send messages from one computer to another — inventing the system we now know as e-mail. To send messages between different computers, Tomlinson needed a way to separate the names of senders and recipients from the names of their machines and he chose the ‘at’ sign on the computer keyboard. This elevated the @ sign from a lost and little-known symbol to world-renowned digital icon and earned him the title “Inventor or Father of Email”.
6 Twitter
The bird logo is the symbol of an online social networking and micro-blogging service that enables users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters. You can use Twitter as an online private diary to document what you are doing throughout the day. It is also a medium for getting up-close and personal with your favorite celebrities.
7 Instragram
Instagram has all the functions users needed to share pictures, text, and video with friends. This app is not only popular among everyday people but also influential celebrities who want to interact with their fans.
8 Search
A magnifying-glass icon represents the ‘search’ function on many different websites, applications, and operating systems. Users type in a search box and click at the magnifying glass when they want to look for information they want.
9 QR CODE
A QR (quick-response) code is a two dimensional barcode that stores information in black-and-white pixelated dots. To use the QR code one needs a smartphone equipped with a camera and a QR Code-reading feature. Users must point the phone camera at the code they want to scan in order to launch the content stored in it, such as product details, movie trailer, a URL. QR codes make it easier to transfer online content to a mobile phone without having to type long, unpleasant data.
10 Add location
The upside down water drop looking icon means “add location” or “check-in” feature that allows you to let people know where you are in real time. It is another popular icon for those wanting to share location-based details of their travels or visits with friends.
