Emoticon Mood Rings Put a Smile on Your Finger

What's your mood today?  Mine is    :)

Remember the mood rings back in the 70's and 80's?  Big oval shaped pieces of glass that changed color when your skin heated up?  Yeah, I had a couple.  With the change of times, comes the change of the mood ring.  No more hot flashes or sweating to see your mood change, instead  Kendra Srivastava tells us about Emoticon Mood Rings.People can now wear emoticons on their fingers, thanks to Chao & Eero Jewel, indicating just how universal IM-speak has become.

The Finnish jeweler has crafted several silver rings to look like smiley faces and happily squinting "carat" eyes, as well as exclamation and question points. Anyone familiar with Internet culture could instantly recognize these symbols and deduce the wearer's mood even if they don't share a language.

Chao & Eero's product highlights the worldwide prevalence of uniquely Internet-based language, created and spread by the growing prevalence of texting, IM and email in our lives.

The Oxford dictionary recently added the abbreviations OMG, BFF, and LOL to its lexical canon, signaling just how important such terms have become in online and mobile communication. The heart symbol also made it into the dictionary as a word.

If online communication continues to evolve, it will be interesting to watch this symbolic, universal language develop and make its way into unexpected aspects of arts and culture.

via Emoticon Mood Rings Put a Smile on Your Finger - Mobiledia.