Apple Introduces New Inclusive Emoji by, Harrison Epstein

http://www.redeyechicago.com/opinion/redeye-diverse-emoji-update-apple-20150412-column.html

Recent iOS 8.3 update for the iPhone includes new racially diverse emoji. It seems that a Dosomething.org petition endorsed by celebrities such as Miley Cyrus did indeed help push this issue to the forefront. Apple really does have a large impact on society, especially here in America. Walking along the streets of any major city in the United States, countless teenagers can be seen, glued to their screens. Although we would like to argue, technology has simply become a large part of our lives. And though some might say that emojis are a small step if any in improving race relations, it is a step in the right direction. Many of us are just looking for a digital representation of ourselves. We are already so much online with Facebook, Instagram, etc., and if some people (white people) have emojis than everyone should be able to have them. This is some of the same mentality behind the legalization of same-sex marriage, although this is a controversial topic. Homosexual couples feel that they should have the same rights as heterosexual couples. And all other races feel that emojis should come in the many shades which represent the human race as a whole. This might seem silly now, but if this kind of thinking can be spread out to the rest of society, that would be great. Other impacts in technology which have affected America include recently the invention of cell phones and the internet. This emoji update seems far away from the integration of schools, which was actually not that long ago. It is almost unbelievable that we are still dealing with the same problems that prevailed in the 1960's and even before that.