Another example of how the internet melds writing and informality is in how we use visuals. In casual speech, we don’t generally converse in pitch-blackness, with our backs to each other, or with our hands tied behind our backs, a paper bag over our heads, and our voices in a robotic monotone. I mean, you could get a message across that way, but you’d be missing something. Often, we gesture: the next time you’re in a public place, look around at groups of people and notice how you can tell who’s talking by looking at who’s gesturing. We use gesture and tone of voice to reinforce our message or add another layer of meaning to it: “Good job!” plus a thumbs up is sincere, while with rolled eyes it’s sarcastic. Formal speech uses fewer and more stylized gestures. Television reporters may point at a weather map or shuffle a few pieces of paper, but for the most part, their hands remain still and their faces remain in a narrow range between serious and cheerful—no waving, eye-rolling, sobbing, or uproarious laughter. Public speakers are often advised to cut down on their natural movements: a classic tip for improving your public speaking is to watch a video of your performance so you can notice and reduce repetitive gestures. [...]

What’s cool about informal writing is that, once we had the technology to send any image anywhere, we used it to restore our bodies to our writing, to give a sense of who’s talking and what mood we’re in when we’re saying things. Take emoji, those small images that enliven our digital messages. There are thousands of them, ranging from animals to foods to nature to common household and workplace objects. And yet the most commonly used sets of emoji are the faces and hands, like the smile, the face with tears of joy, the thumbs up, and the crossed fingers. We use emoji less to describe the world around us, and more to be fully ourselves in an online world. We do the same with gifs.