A look at our evolving digital communication

Guests: Lauren Collister, Steven Petrow, and Michael Schrage

The yellow smiley faces, the kissing lips, a broken heart, or thumbs up sign – have you used any of these emojis? Whether you like them or not, these small pictographs have become ubiquitous in our digital communication — and it’s not just among friends. They’re turning up in the workplace, too. Considering we’re already conversant in email, texting, and Twitter, what do emoticons say about our language and how it’s changing? Today we look at the ups and downs of digital communication and miscommunication with LAUREN COLLISTER, a sociolinguist at the University of Pittsburgh and STEVEN PETROW, columnist for The Washington Post and USA Today. And as more businesses are saying goodbye to voicemail, MICHAEL SCHRAGE, research fellow with MIT Sloan School, says it’s about time.