Icons have a practical benefit of reducing the cost of selling your product in international markets. But it does introduce confusion and ambiguity sometimes wh

Icons have a practical benefit of reducing the cost of selling your product in international markets. But it does introduce confusion and ambiguity sometimes when the intended function is unclear. I suppose there's a side effect that it lowers the bar for the illiterate, making it easier for them to function. I doubt it's a significant factor in whether they decide to learn to read.