What emoji do you use the most?
It’s likely to be 😂, according to the Most Used Emoji on Twitter Map.
Emojis are used to add emotion to text-based communication. A well-placed 🙄 can clue the reader in to sarcasm without using the ambiguous /s.
You may have seen recent headlines on how the emoji was used as a veritable shake of the head in the troubled cryptocurrency firm, FTX:
Insider.com
My most memorable personal encounter with the emoji has got to be when a past workplace rated our performance with an emoji scale, something like the following:
🤩🙂😐😞
In recent days, the emoji has taken on even more meaning. For those who aren’t Twitter addicts, the salute emoji has come to represent those who’ve been fired or chosen to leave Twitter in the short time since Elon Musk has acquired and begun his rampage on the platform.
Elon is no stranger to the emoji himself – he uses them frequently and ruthlessly:
(For your information, this particular cry-laugh emoji is the most used in countries like Guatemala and Fiji)
The Chief Tweeter has been using the cry-laugh emoji even more frequently after acquiring the site, according to Gawker analysis. It certainly makes it seem like he really thinks we should be laughing (not once, but a couple times) with him.
As we see the emoji reach new highs, and new lows, and just generally establish themselves into the communication framework of society, it’s good to remember that one image doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.
A personal example: at my workplace, which has a high ratio of female employees, we use ❤ liberally and often to react to colleagues’ posts. My husband says he could never muster anything more emotive than 👍.
BuzzFeed has a fun article on how Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X interpret the same emojis. The Cliff Notes: Gen Z tends to use emojis sarcastically where the older generations use them in a straightforward manner.
Take a peek at the other generation’s interpretations to see your intergenerational emoji intelligence!
Existing emojis are taking on new meaning, but at the same time, the emoji lexicon itself has grown thanks in no small part to the Emoji Mashup Bot. Earlier this year, it was cranking out several new emojis a day. But its legacy has come to an end, announced quite appropriately with an Emoji Mashup paying respect to those who worked hard for the social media that gave it platform.
As emoji cement themselves in our online interactions, and online interactions become ever ubiquitous, one can only guess what the next big development will be 🧐
A communications blog 
