Why There’s a Sassy Wombat on Your Phone

We’ve all heard the saying, “a  picture is worth a thousand words,” but new communication tools called “stickers” are taking text messaging to the next level by allowing users to send cute images rather than words. Start-up companies nationwide are noticing this trend and are designing more and more stickers to allow users to send visual messages to update their friends on how they're feeling or what they're doing. “We’re a much more graphic culture than we used to be,” explains American University professor Naomi Baron. Digital communication has come a long way, and stickers are the next evolution to reflect a more visual culture that values fun ways of sharing messages with one another. Would you send stickers to your friends instead of standard text messages?

The Wall Street Journal, 6/11/13