They set a tone. They create a mood. A sticker is more than just a funny picture shared between friends; it is the Gen-Z de-facto communication method. PDBY recently conducted a poll on Instagram asking students if they use stickers in digital communication. 87% of the poll respondents shared that they use WhatsApp stickers most of the time, with a further 7% saying their use was dependent on the conversation being had.
It becomes clear that more and more people are turning to stickers to communicate over messages. In order to understand why, PDBY opened up the floor to sticker enthusiasts. Through a questionnaire, students were asked why they use stickers. One student shared that stickers “can communicate things that words and emojis just can’t”, with another adding that “sarcasm doesn’t relay over text”, and they further suggest that stickers can be used to bridge that gap. A respondent shared an interesting perspective on how stickers can actually add in the missing body-language element of communicating via text. Another respondent shared how stickers can be useful aids when you do not know what to say (I guess it is true what they say: a picture speaks a thousand words).
Let’s jump into some theory: researchers Esther Linares Bernabéu from the University of València and Francisco Yus from the University of Alicante talk about the changing communication landscape in their paper A pragmatic typology of WhatsApp sticker functions. In this paper, they suggest that communication is now a “multimodal-semiotic ecosystem” that encompasses “various sign systems”. Meaning is no longer simply constructed over textual discourse but rather through a blend of words, stickers, emojis, and videos. Within their study, three functions of stickers were identified:
- The first function is how stickers are linked to the sender’s intention. This highlights the importance of constructing one’s identity into message interactions. They serve as a way to express oneself.
- Secondly, stickers are used to convey non-verbal communication that is typically absent from text conversations.
- Lastly, stickers are sent to guide the recipient’s understanding and interpretation of a textual conversation.
To further understand the important role of stickers in everyday communication, PDBY sat down with the Visual Media Editor and asked them what their process is behind their sticker making. In this exclusive, the Visual Media Editor shared that they will take what they have described as “diabolical” pictures of their friends and then turn them into stickers. The Visual Media Editor shared that making stickers of friends “creates a close bond” and allows for “people to laugh at themselves”. Additionally, they will create stickers of pop-culture moments and cult-classic TV shows and movies that people can instantly recognise and identify with. PDBY also sat down with an international student who shared that “stickers help to close the geographical distance” and help keep “connections strong” despite the lack of in-person contact.
Stickers are all about connection and community. Many people talk about how they will “steal” stickers from their friends and send them to other friends. Next thing you know, that weird sticker you made is being sent back in the post-exam debrief on the module group chat.
UP students were asked why they “steal” other people’s stickers. One student shared that it is a “fast and easy way to get stickers” and that “people have the best sticker collections that make it hard not to steal”. Another student spoke on how “not everyone can paint the Mona Lisa and in the same way some people just make better stickers.”
No matter how stickers come to be, one thing is clear: they bring people together and help communication among a community. They work perfectly to break the ice, make your point clear, help emphasise an emotion, and end off an awkward conversation. I mean, what better way to break no contact with your deranged ex than a sticker of Lin-Manuel Miranda looking extra whimsical?
