Ah, emojis. Regardless of the controversy surrounding their growing use, emojis can be used to express ideas that traditional language just doesn’t convey the same way anymore. No word captures the descriptive power of three flame emojis, no phrase shows the same appreciation as the smiley face with heart-shaped eyes, and no sentence will ever hold the same finesse and subtle humor as the much-loved smiling poop.

But when the Oxford Dictionary announced earlier this month that its word of the year is the emoji with tears of joy, even an emoji aficionado like me was a little concerned. The publisher maintained that it chose the pictograph because it “transcends linguistic borders” and is a “nuanced form of expression,” but it received a lot of backlash for obvious reasons. (Insert grimacing emoji here.)

While the constant progress that language undergoes is something to be admired, it does feel like we have been taking some steps backward recently. As the language we use in everyday conversation gets more and more simplistic — even reverting to the image-riddled version that adorns pyramids and caves of the past — I can’t help but worry that we are beginning to lose the rich complexity that makes language an art rather than just a form of communication. And so, while I will probably continue to use the dancing-girls emoji more than is appropriate, I think it is imperative that we make time to appreciate outlets such as The Daily Californian that help us find our words and keep the art of language alive.

Contact Alya Lamba at alamba@dailycal.org.