Feeling emoji: 5 reasons to use them in your correspondence
Published on: Sunday, September 25, 2022
By: ETX Daily Up, FMT
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Emojis ‘give people the resources to express themselves and show emotions’ without the need for words. (Envato Elements pic) / FMT
PARIS:Whether it’s on social networks, in messages, or in emails, the use of emojis is now firmly rooted in netizens’ daily lives.
After all, these little pictograms are found all over the web. As a testament to their ubiquity, Adobe has unveiled the results of its “Adobe’s Future of Creativity: 2022 US Emoji Trend Report” – yes, it’s a real thing – after analysing the behaviour of 10,000 emoji users worldwide, including 5,000 users in the United States.
The study details the reasons Americans use emojis in their messages. “Emojis give people the resources they need to be able to express themselves and show their emotions, whether it be on social media or messaging apps.
“They allow people to convey more than just words on a screen and connect more deeply to others,” said Kamile Demir, computer scientist at Adobe and representative to the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee – again, a real thing.
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Here are five reasons you should be using emojis in your virtual correspondence.
1. Because it makes you cool, apparently
According to the study, the use of emojis in messages makes people seem cooler, friendlier and even funnier – or so think 73% of US users polled.
2. To bring lightness to a conversation
Emojis allow you to quickly share an emotion without using words, which, in a way, could promote better communication. For 91% of users in the US, a well-chosen emoji brings a touch of lightness to sometimes difficult conversation.
Emojis are useful for conveying affection or flirtatiousness… (Envato Elements pic)
Using these little pictures can also boost the mental health of users, according to 60% of US respondents. The majority of American emoji users (88%) report that they are more likely to feel empathetic towards someone if they use an emoji.
3. For seduction
In the age of dating sites, emojis are proving to be very useful in creating an emotional connection. For Paul D Hunt, typeface designer and font developer at Adobe, “using emoji is a sign of emotional intelligence. It demonstrates you are able to be vulnerable and wear your heart on your sleeve”.
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Be careful, however, to choose the right emojis when it comes to seduction. According to the report, the “kisses”, “smiley face with hearts”, and “heart eyes” emojis are the top choices when it comes to flirting and dating.
Unsurprisingly, it is better to avoid the “eggplant”, “angry face”, and “poop” emojis.
The study further revealed that 32% of Generation-Z users have broken up with their partner with the use of an emoji.
4. To improve co-worker relations
According to the study, emojis have the ability to bring colleagues together despite the distance of remote working. For 69% of US respondents, emojis have a positive impact on likability, and can even help people share ideas quickly (79%), speed up team decision-making (62%), and boost creativity (58%).
…But be prudent when using that eggplant emoji. Yes, FMT is aware this is an actual eggplant. (Envato Elements pic)
“One of the challenges of hybrid work is that it can be harder to interpret written communication from our coworkers without that face-to-face interaction. Emojis are a great way to mitigate potential misunderstandings; a quick smiley face at the end of your message can go a long way,” Demir explained.
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5. To promote inclusivity
The issue of representation is also important in the world of emojis, with a drive for greater inclusivity, equity and diversity, to better include users from all over the world. To that end, many emojis offer variations with regard to skin tone, and hair and eye colour.
For 71% of US respondents, emoji use helps foster positive discussions about cultural and societal issues. Yet, there is still a long way to go, since 83% of these users agree that emojis “should still offer more representation”.