Memes and emojis in Chinese compliments on Weibo

Noted for the ability to generate meanings across linguistic boundaries, nonverbal communication in computer-mediated communication has attracted increasing research attention. This study examines the prevalent but under-investigated phenomenon of memes and emojis employed in Chinese compliments on the social platform Weibo. Data were collected in a follower-based community on Weibo, the Topic. The results revealed that memes that did not feature the image of the complimented target outnumbered those memes with the figure of the complimented target. Memes without the image of the complimented target were employed to express compliments, either through explicit or implicit expressions, although explicit expressions of compliments were used more frequently. All of the memes served to compliment the appearance, performance, and personality of the complimented targets. Regarding emojis, there were three patterns of emojis employed in online compliments, namely, emojis initiating compliments, emojis inserted in compliments, and emojis closing compliments. Overall, emojis functioned as transitions and intensifiers which increased the force of compliments.