They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So how much is an emoji worth?

Emojis, little emoticons that cover almost any subject imaginable, have become essential in how we communicate. Whether it's a cute winky face, or the see-no-evil monkey, emojis are used to express a variety of emotions through text messages. People often complain that texting isn't "real" communication because it's only words without knowing how the other person is really reacting. In face-to-face communication, or even a phone conversation, a person's emotions can't be disguised or misinterpreted as easily as behind text. Emojis are helping to mend that gap between what some deem is "real" communication and texting.

Not only do they help in addition to the text, but they also can replace words. Instead of saying you're going to bed, you can send the sleeping emoji:

Or when you ask your friends what to wear, you can send a series of clothing emojis:

👚 👖 👗 👘

Even when there's nothing left to say in a conversation, you can send an emoji without leaving an awkward silence:

However, emojis don't just stop at your phone's keyboard. A variety of emoticons, mostly inspired by the popularity of emojis, have arisen in different texting apps, and even some email carriers. For example, this year I could be sending this email when I can't make it to class.

Now chances are, I probably wouldn't do that. But knowing that I can is pretty cool.

Emojis don't even stop at our personal communication, though. They have extended all the way to literature! In a new series called "OMG Shakespeare," famous Shakespeare plays are translated into texting language, including emojis.

I know some people are going to have a cow about this, but really there isn't a problem here. Emojis and text language are how the next generation communicates, and nobody uses Shakespearian language anymore. It only makes sense to use text language and emojis to get them to read AND understand the story. It's the same as having a modern English translation on the opposite page as the original text. So if you've had a cow, keep it to yourself.

Since emojis are new and generally targeted for kids and teens, they've been highly criticized. "Kids today don't know how to communicate!" "They can't even talk face-to-face! They have to use little computer generated whosie-whats-its to show emotion!"

Here's the thing: communication is always changing. Letters turned to phone calls, phone calls turned to emails, emails turned to texting, and texting is now aided by emojis. Each of these things focus on an aspect of human communication. None of them are better than the other, except to people who are elitist and pompous and stuck in their ways. Just because it's new, doesn't mean it's inferior.

So, if you're going to be

then