Why Do We Love Bitmoji’s So Much?
The first time I realized I could turn a photo of myself into a Bitmoji, I confess I was a bit too excited. I don't know if being a real-life human just gets boring sometimes or if the idea of being a cartoon-ized version of ourselves just taps into some inner kid thing or what, but I was delighted.
Turns out I'm not the only one. The obsession with Bitmoji's is real and it's something both kids and adults (a.k.a. older kids) enjoy. Having talked with a couple of friends and family members, one of the reasons we like these avatars of ourselves is that for one reason or another, some of us feel more comfortable communicating certain feelings that way.
This may also be why we love emoji's so much. Especially in a world of texting, having the the helpful yellow circles of emotions to attach to what could otherwise be a misunderstood text, seems quite helpful. And maybe it's just a simpler way to communicate in a complicated world.
Vice writer Anna Iovine puts it well in her article when she says "sometimes it's easier to send a delightful picture than a complicated string of text." Um, yes. I get that. I may not be able to find the right words to respond quickly after a friend shares the details of a nuanced situation, but if I can't find the right picture? Well, I can at least make sure she knows that I'm sending love and support her.
On top of that, it's nice to be able to tweak your little cartoon to wear the clothes and have the sassy attitude we'd like to wear in "real life," but can't quite seem to manifest. For some people, their avatars are closer to how they actually see themselves than how they appear in the world. For example, it's much easier to make those jeans work on an illustration than it is to be in shape enough to wear them on one's actual body.
Does psychology play a role here? You bet it does. Psychologist Linda Kaye of Edge Hill University shares in the same article "'that emojis and Bitmojis' are both used as icons to sum up an overall feeling or thought in one icon in a way which is more holistic than a string of words."
Mashable also shares some interesting insights here.
Makes sense. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So a Bitmoji? Gosh, it's worth at least fifty.