How I Got Out Of “LINE”

Over Christmas break, in order to keep in contact with my friend from Thailand we downloaded this app called LINE. LINE is a global messaging service that uses your mobile internet package. It is basically a combination of Skype and SMS texting. Among many of my international friends they said ” you will love this app it has cooler emjois.” I love my emjois I think they are fun way to put a tone in what you are trying to say which sometimes get lost in text messages.

Once I downloaded this app, I learned about a feature called Stickers. Stickers are just larger versions of emojis and can express almost every emotions possible. The stickers come in packets and when you first sign up you get 4 sticker packets, a moon man, a bear, a little girl, and a packet of random stuff. I recently got a free download of Snoop Dogg stickers that I’ll use occasionally.

This was the start of my wordless almost meaningless conversations started to occur and this is how I got out of  line 

At first, LINE was so much fun. I would be chatting with my friend about something and if it was funny I would insert a sticker of someone laughing. We were still using words to communicate but everyday things like I am hungry or I am tired were slowly being replaced by stickers because typing “I AM TIRED” is much more of a tiring task then just a one click to the I am tired sticker.

I recently introduced one of my friends to LINE and he no longer actually sends me words anymore its all stickers yet we still think we are communicating. It is kind of strange because I get what he is trying to say but it’s not personal. One time at dinner he even said “stickers are greater than words!”

Here is a screen shot of our conversation: * Can you figure out our conversation below? Scroll to the end of my post to find out the answer.

I have a love-hate with LINE. I feel it a fun way to communicate with friends internationally or even just for fun.  But it has taken communication one step further away from expressing your true self. Texting already is a stressful thing, in my opinion. Like if someone says “ok” do you freak out too? I normally think, OMG they hate me or what a @!%$! jerk sending me that one-worded text message back. Now with LINE,  I know how to decipher sticker… OH NO.

LINE CHAT 1: The bear represents I am happy that I just finished class. The angry blonde man is mad he is still at work and its a stressful environment.