What is Semiotics?

Semiotics is the way signs are related in society, represented by the idea that X, (standing for a color, magnitude, word, etc.) is equal to Y, representing the meanings behind each sign. The underlying questions presented in semiotics when analyzing signs are: “How does it present this meaning?” and “Why is it indicative of this meaning?” (pg6). These questions are key to figuring out the cultural background of each sign and the “referent” ( what the sign is referring to). This article also mentions “concepts,” or any picture/idea that comes to mind when a sign is present. The communication theory is the study of how messages are put together to be exchanged effectively and mainly rely on semiotic factors. This theory encompasses the idea that certain connotations of a word can contain different meaning, and how societal norms shape the way we communicate. Iconicity is the way visual symbols contain specific meaning, Indexicality is how behaviors are representative, and finally symbolism is the way a signifier can be symbolic.

The first thing that came to mind when reading this article, is how semiotics have changed drastically over time because of the way our generation communicates. From bitmojis and emoticons to gifs and snapchat filters, as technology has increased, so has visual semiotics use in our everyday language. In a study done by Esther Mazer entitled, “Symbolism as the Language of Millennials,” he says that visual marketing tactics have become more effective in recent years due to Millennials ability to understand and receive visual symbolism. This means a mutual understanding of the signifier and the signified through marketing, as well as a “parallel between the efficiency of the design and the efficiency of symbols’ usage in society” (Mazer, 2). This study asserts that pictographic language is becoming a replacement for written information in order to appeal to a new generation. (https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/linguistics_senior_projects/19/)

In the section of the article titled “signs” it uses the example of colors that indicate meaning. The article says, “The word red, as we saw, qualifies as a sign because it does not stand for the sounds r-e-d that comprise it, but rather for a certain kind of color and other things.” This is similar to the way we communicate over text with hearts or with facial expressions. With context, each emoticon can mean something completely different and the way the message is received is quite subjective. In paragraph 18 it also mentions that, “experiments have shown that the connotations of many (if not most) concepts are constrained by culture.” This observation under the section titled “Signification,” further supports the idea that as culture changes, semiotics (the way things are related) change by generation.