:) :P ;) :D

I don't know whether I'm being biased but I feel that sms-es that do not contain do not contain smileys or hehe's or ...'s are usually rather impersonal.

Before the electronic messaging age where pen and paper rule and reign, girls would normally be the ones to dot their i's with heart shapes. But nowadays, contrary to what some people may think, it is not a girl thing to make full use of emoticons.

If I have to choose between an sms with smileys (tastefully peppered, of course. There is such a thing as overdoing a good thing!) and the one without, the one with the emoticons would warm my heart more. Written communication is tough enough to do, why not use a smiley or two to convey the emotions that accompany those lovely words?

Compare this:

Got my message? Wah, you drive me up the wall.

with this:

Got my message? Wah, you drive me up the wall

With just a , you would have diffused a possible heated argument. The conveys a host of friendly feelings. Of course, if the recipient has no clue what an emoticon is used for - which is a rare thing in this day and age - then it won't work lor.

Also, another case in point, I received an sms recently from someone whom I thought was stoic and lacked a sense of humour. This sms was special... because it had a ... hee. And just like that, the stoic image I had of him crumbled to dust and the first thought that came to mind was, "Hey, he's human after all! He feels!"

Yep, never underestimate the power of emoticons.