This week in primary schools, students and teachers have been discussing a news story that has captured attention: a 10-year-old’s petition to change a popular emoji. Let’s delve into the story, think about the impact of emojis, and understand how they shape digital communication and representation. This Week’s Story: A Petition to Change the Glasses Emoji 10-year-old Teddy Cottle from Oxfordshire has started an online petition asking Apple to change the glasses emoji, commonly referred to as the ‘nerd’ emoji. Teddy believes that the design gives the wrong impression of people who wear glasses. After noticing the emoji while texting his cousin, he wrote a letter to Apple requesting a redesign. With support from his French teacher, Lisa Baillie, Teddy turned his idea into a petition, which was launched on petitiononline.co.uk. What Does Teddy Want to Change? Teddy’s petition asks Apple to remove the ‘nerd glasses’ emoji and replace it with an image of a smiling face with glasses, naming it the ‘genius’ emoji. Teddy expressed that the current emoji makes people think glasses-wearers are nerds, which upsets him and, he believes, many others across the globe. Understanding Emojis and Their Impact There are over 3,000 emojis in use today, each designed to represent or express an idea or emotion in the digital world. Emojis are frequently used on devices like mobile phones, tablets, and computers, allowing people to communicate quickly and visually, no matter which language they speak. Why Do People Use Emojis? Emojis often help us express how we feel or react in conversations, especially when communicating digitally. For example, smiley faces convey positivity, while thumbs-up can quickly show approval. They can make messages more engaging and help overcome language barriers. How Are New Emojis Decided? The Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit made up mainly of large technology companies, manages emojis. Anyone can propose a new emoji idea. The Consortium reviews submissions each year and decides which ones to introduce. They aim for emojis to be ‘universal’ and represent the world’s diversity, including variations like different skin tones and representations of people with disabilities. Top Tips for Creating a New Emoji Emojis should be easy to understand for people everywhere. They should not represent real people, places, or brands. Each idea needs to be unique and fill a gap in expressing something new. Classroom and Assembly Discussion Points During assemblies and class discussions, questions were raised to prompt reflection: Do you agree that the glasses emoji should be changed? Can you think of any other emojis that may need updating to better represent people? Do you use emojis, and do you feel represented by them? How might you communicate emotions or messages without words? Sharing and Expressing Emotions Emojis allow users to share their emotions quickly and can reflect a wide range of feelings such as happiness, sadness, confusion, excitement, or concern. In classrooms, students explored how different emojis convey different moods and how inclusive representation in digital icons matters. Ideas for Classroom Activities Teachers and students were encouraged to: Design a new emoji representing an idea, emotion, hobby, or cultural symbol not currently found among existing emojis. Discuss, draw, and describe their creations in groups or pairs. Consider how art, music, dance, or body language can also be used to communicate without words. Reflect on whether digital symbols, like emojis, help them feel understood or included. Mutual Respect, Tolerance, and Representation The assembly discussions emphasized mutual respect and inclusivity. The key takeaway: everybody should feel represented in digital spaces, regardless of background, appearance, ability, or belief. Emojis can help express our differences and similarities, fostering a sense of belonging in global digital communication. Key Vocabulary Emoji: A small digital image or icon used to represent or express an idea or emotion. Express: To show what you think or feel. Impression: An idea or opinion about what something or someone is like. Offensive: Causing someone to feel resentful, upset, or annoyed. Petition: A document signed by many people asking for some action from an authority. Representation: The way someone or something is shown or described. To keep updated and engaged with the latest Picture News resources and discussions: Explore the latest Picture News resources here: https://picture-news.co.uk/free-sample Join our latest discussion here: https://picture-news.co.uk/discuss Explore our recent events and training here: https://picture-news.co.uk/training
