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Nowadays, with the rapid development of technology, the symbolic meanings of many traditional items are gradually being replaced by new standards. As discussed by Japanese netizens, even though modern people no longer use 3.5 disks, the icon for the “storage” function still follows the shape of a disk.
The same situation also occurs on the incoming call icon of mobile phones, although landline phones have almost disappeared now, the microphone pattern is still used for incoming and reject calls on mobile phones.
The Evolution of Icons: Identification between Green and Red
Modern mobile phone users, especially young people who have been exposed to smartphones since childhood and have never used landline phones, may not understand the specific meaning of the microphone icon. Many people determine whether to answer a phone call based on the color of the icon – green represents answer, red represents reject, rather than the direction of the microphone.
The experiment conducted by a netizen named “Dr. Riron” has sparked heated discussions. He switched the direction of the green and red microphones on the phone call icon, but found that most people did not notice the change in icon direction. This experiment proves that many people do not pay attention to the shape and direction of the microphone, but make decisions about whether to connect or not based solely on color.
Different reactions from netizens
Many Japanese netizens shared their views on this phenomenon during the discussion:
Some netizens pointed out that for the generation who have never used a landline phone, the shape of a microphone may be meaningless because they do not know what it is. As one netizen said, “For the generation who have never used a landline phone, I’m afraid they really don’t know what this shape represents
Some people also say that even if they are not the generation that has been using smartphones since childhood, they will rely more on color to judge. To be honest, I also find this icon difficult to understand, so I judge it solely based on its color. It might be better if the rejected pattern were changed to a cross
This also indicates that the symbolism of shape and direction is weakening, while the recognition of color is becoming stronger.
Some netizens mentioned in the discussion that they asked people of different age groups and found intergenerational differences in their perception of colors. A netizen said, “I asked my mom (in her 70s), and she answered that red is the answer, but my 10-year-old son said green is the answer
This shows how the combination of color and shape symbols changes people’s cognition over time.
The Importance of Color and Future Trends
Many netizens have also reflected on how they distinguish between answering and rejecting calls when using their mobile phones, and found that in practical operation, shape and direction have gradually lost their function, and color has become the most important criterion for judgment.
I realized that I also judge based solely on color. It wasn’t until I saw the last paragraph that I realized the microphone direction had been changed… I feel like in another 10 years, this icon will also disappear
Some even speculate that over time, the microphone icon may be replaced by simpler and more intuitive symbols, such as the green checkmark for “answer” and the red cross for “reject”.
This phenomenon reflects how modern people understand and use technology through color rather than traditional shapes. Even though the shape of the microphone icon is retained in the design, its symbolic meaning has gradually faded for many people. In the future, as more people are no longer exposed to traditional landline phones, the design of mobile phone call icons may become more concise, and the recognition of symbols and colors will continue to lead the trend of interface design.