For a while, I thought it was strange how native Koreans would use extraneous ~,^^, ㅋ, and emojis in messengers. Having lived here for over a year now, I see m

For a while, I thought it was strange how native Koreans would use extraneous ~,^^, ㅋ, and emojis in messengers. Having lived here for over a year now, I see myself using those once-foreign symbols as part of my messaging jargon. I feel it softens communication with the other person. The effect is similar to that of a smile; you can say anything while smiling and it won't look so aggressive. If you message without healthy utilization of these symbols, the negative effect is similar to that of ending texts with period marks. No matter the content, the tone will seem aggressive.