Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What is an "emoticon?""
...An emoticon is technically defined as a "metacommunicative pictorial representation of a facial expression." For example, the emoticon :-D represents laughter. Emoticons are used in communication when body language is absent, providing a way to draw the recipient’s attention to the temper or tenor of a sender's message. They were designed to improve interpretation of a person's feelings or mood over digital communication. Emoticons can represent myriad expressions or items. Examples include: :( meaning sad or :-X meaning no comment. Source: Symbols.com
