Among emojis, stickers and memes, GIFs stand out as one of the most popular ways of expressing themselves. That small repetitive animation, halfway between image and video, has become a more weight communication tool than it might seem. But, What really means that someone answers you with a GIF? Is it just a funny way to answer or enclose something else?
Psychology and research on digital communication give us some very interesting answers.
The role of GIFs in nonverbal communication
First, It should be understood that GIFS function as a digital nonverbal communication resource. That is, its function resembles gestures, facial expressions or the intonation of the voice that we would use face to face. According to studies at the University of Illinois, the use of GIFs in Chats allows us to replace part of the expressiveness lost in written communication, providing emotional nuances that a flat text cannot transmit.
When someone answers with a GIF, it is unconsciously, humanizing the conversation. This makes sense if we think that, in a virtual environment, we lose the nuances of the look, gestures or the tone of voice, so we add moving images that reflect emotions.
Express emotions without complicating
Responding to a GIF can also be interpreted as a way to outsource emotions quickly and effectively. According to the American Psychological Association, digital communication causes some anxiety to answer fastwhat is known as mandatory instantaneity. Faced with this pressure, the GIF solves the problem: it allows emotionally to react without elaborating a long phrase or think too much.
For example, if someone sends you a applause gif, it is probably showing you support or admiration clearly and without a margin of confusion. It is a direct emotional substitute that saves time and cognitive effort.
Avoid conflicts or soften the tone
Another relevant function of GIFs is to soften potentially tense messages. Digital psychologist Sherry Turkle, from MIT, explains that Many users use visual resources such as GIFs to mitigate the hardness of a message or express irony without being misunderstood. For example, sending a fun gif after a reproach or criticism softens the impact and reduces the probability of conflict.
It is a kind of “evolved emoji”: the GIF has more expressive wealth and cultural context, so it adds nuances that help better manage emotions within the conversation.
Identity and belonging
Answering with Gifs also says a lot about the cultural and social identity of who uses them. Many gifs refer to movies, series, memes or known characters. This implies sharing cultural codes, and reinforces the sense of belonging to a group. According to a study published in New Media & Society, people tend to select GIFs that reflect their personality and that also help them generate affinity with their interlocutor.
For example, Using a “The Office” or “The Simpsons” gif can be a way to indicate closeness and sense of humor shared. Thus, GIFS function not only as visual language, but also as a sign of social identity.
A form of emotional economy
In psychology, there is more and more about the digital emotional economy: the need to manage feelings in an accelerated environment, with thousands of messages and stimuli. Answering with a GIF is part of that economy: it reduces mental effort, avoids misunderstanding and transmits emotions easily.
In addition, GIFs can be more emotionally. When someone does not know how to express something (by shame, doubts or insecurity), Choose a gif that reflects your emotion, without risking writing it literally. This allows to maintain some emotional control, as social media psychologist Andrea García points out, who emphasizes that many people prefer to “let the GIF speak” to protect themselves from possible negative interpretations.
More than a fun resource
When someone responds with a GIF does not mean that he does not care about the conversation, but rather the opposite: He is striving to transmit emotions, nuances and context in a quick, effective and close way. Far from being simple ornament, the GIF provides expressiveness, reinforces social identity and facilitates emotional communication in the digital age.
So the next time you receive a GIF instead of a text, do not think that your interlocutor is being lazy. You are probably looking for the best way to say something without complications, more human and emotionally than with a flat message. After all, GIFs are smile, applause or the gesture of complicity of digital conversation, and its communicative power is much more alive than we imagine.