In the lightning talk titled "How Emoji Changed My Life," Juanito Fatas explores the transformative role of emojis in communication and personal expression. He begins by defining what emojis are, originating from the early text-based emoticons to the modern graphical icons we use today. Emojis, which are derived from Japanese meaning 'picture character,' have evolved significantly since their introduction in 1999 on Japanese mobile phones.

Fatas highlights several key points about emojis, including:
- The history and evolution of emojis: He recounts how emojis gained popularity and emphasized their formal recognition through the Unicod e standard, with a notable moment in 2015 when Apple enhanced support for emojis, allowing greater diversity through skin tone modifiers.
- The vast availability of emojis: As of 2015, there are approximately 1,200 emojis available. Fatas humorously mentions that among the most requested emojis is the hot dog, showcasing the odd yet engaging nature of emoji requests.
- Impact of emojis on communication: Emojis can drastically change the tone and interpretation of messages. Fatas shares an example where a simple directive can be construed as dismissive without an emoji, while adding a smiley face can transform it into a friendly suggestion, underlining how emojis enhance workplace communication, particularly in a coding environment.
- Emojis in technology and coding: He discusses how emojis can be integrated into programming, specifically within Ruby syntax, allowing developers to utilize emojis in their code to comment and convey meaning more expressively.
- Social and personal implications of emojis: The talk also touches upon the broader societal impacts of emojis, investigating how they contribute to meaning-making in texts and how they reflect cultural dynamics.

Fatas concludes by inviting the audience to engage further with him about emojis, showing his enthusiasm for the subject and acknowledging the limitations of his time to delve deeper into such a vast topic. Overall, the talk conveys that emojis are not just playful icons but fundamental tools that affect the way we communicate, shape our understanding, and influence our digital interactions.