Does the popularity of emoji and text-speak indicate a dumbing-down of society?

Absolutely not. Of course, it`s just my opinion, nevertheless, i`m sure that emojis don`t make us dumber. On the contrary, they are much more easier to use in everyday life. Nowadays millions or even billions of people use modern technologies and live in a hurry to make their own career, so time is money. Emojis save our main resource and sometimes can be really pleasant to receive.