Use emoticons have at least three advantages: the avoidance of doubt, convey emotions, achieve cross-language cultural exchange. Internet there is a law, called "slope rule" - meaning that you are using the Internet to write a tone of irony, it was even clearer expression in words, are likely to be misunderstood. Because it conveys the message text is too thin.
Language is a three-dimensional expression system, there is a single word is not enough, stress, treble, tone, volume, pause, acceleration, deceleration, so many auxiliary tools are helping us express emotion. But emoticons can make up for the thin text, and particularly easy to understand. Such as micro letter written word "That's your job," if single text, there may be very many understand. But if coupled with expressions such as anger next to put a red-faced expression, it means that accused each other of dereliction of duty; if expression hair with a question mark, it means that you should not be doing this job. The hair a smiling face, that is, tell each other, I put the work assigned to you, there is no blame emotions inside. Network expression is very accurate, not only to avoid ambiguity, but also to convey the tone and mood.
In the 21st century, network expression is a very efficient network communication. With people of different nationalities to communicate in words it is difficult, but the expression is universal. Emoticons also an unexpected function, which is able to describe your personal style, how is a kind of person. In interpersonal communication, the role of language only to 30%, and 70% of the information is conveyed by non-verbal way. But the network exchange depends mainly on the text, which greatly reduced the efficiency of information transmission, the use of emoticons can prevent ambiguity, convey emotions, even across language and cultural barriers. Emoticons body language of the digital age, people are using the network more efficient expression of the communicator.