Emojis are a fun and fast way of effective communication. When they were first introduced they took American communication by storm by acting as a bridge. A bridge that was previously missing between various ages, race, culture and more.
Adobe conducted a 20 minute online survey of 5000 U.S. emoji users to know how they are optimizing emoji for self expression. This Emoji report showed that 91% of emoji users use emoji to lighten a conversation. Around 60% state that using emoji has acted positively for their mental health. Top five favorite emojis of its users are – 😂(#1) 👍(#2) ❤️(#3) 🤣(#4) 😢(#5).
Most Misunderstood Emojis
U.S. emoji users are still very much likely to think of the emoji by its literal meaning. This literal meaning is often far different from the new, trending use of the emoji. The most misunderstood emojis are –
The Cowboy hat face 🤠: Many users think of it as just a cowboy without any real meaning attached to it. Whereas around 11% and 9% users relate it to country or to giddy up, respectively. And many still do not have a clue what the emoji means.
Upside-down face 🙃: This emoji is a little more understandable while the confusion regarding it still persists. During the survey users said they related the emoji to acting silly, dying on the inside or being confused.
Cherries emoji 🍒: Cherries were mostly simply considered a food item or snack. Almost 21% thought of it as a representation of a woman’s body.
Emojis to possibly rescue or jeopardize your love life
Gen Z is fully immersed and is actively using emojis for their dating life and romantic communications. They are most comfortable in using emojis to explore relationships. Whether to start new beginnings in their love life or to end old ones, emojis are proving useful in both ways. Using emojis for flirting or dating is a must-have for U.S. users.
Most likable dating emojis are 😘, 🥰, or 😍 and the least likable are 💩, 😠, and 🍆, avoid these emojis if you don’t want people to avoid you.
If you cannot muster up the courage to end ties with someone, emojis are great for that too! While conversations like these should happen in person, 21% have ended a relationship with an emoji over text.
Users demand more inclusivity
U.S. emoji users want to see more inclusivity in emojis representing age, race/ethnicity and culture. Increased range of customizations are another aspect that the users demand from emojis. Diverse groups such as LGBTQIA+ users, disabled users, Black, Asian and Hispanic users prefer using customized emojis.
Emojis give your business a creative edge
As for your business, many U.S. users are willing to purchase using an emoji. With Clothing, takeout meals, streaming services and rideshare sevices on top of the list of gen Z’ers.
Advancements in its usage
Emoji users are excited to see the use of emojis in more creative ways than they see right now. They are also anticipating the possibility of having emojis involved in confirming event attendance to sending and receiving payments.
For your next mini read, here’s another report that we recommend 2022 Holiday Trends Guide Key Takeaways
