Whether you want to send a friend a hug, tell them you’re off swimming or announce you’re on holiday, there’s an emoji to help. Sharing a simple icon or picture can express your feelings, represent what you’re up to, and indicate if you’re with family, friends or the dog.
Since the first emoji appeared on everyone’s digital screens almost two decades ago, you can now choose from a whopping 2,666, and 157 new emojis are lined up to appear on our electronic devices in 2018.
It’s also good to know that emoji users are a happy bunch. The most commonly used emoji worldwide is the ‘face with tears of joy’, the icon that says something’s so funny that you’re crying with laughter. The ‘smiling face with heart eyes’ and the ‘red heart’, both representing love, are also popular. Indeed, none of the emojis in the top 10 most used on Facebook conveys negative emotions.
Smiling, smirking, winking, grinning – what’s your emoji face (or faces)?
- Words: Jen Neal and Lorna Cowan.
- Images: Photos by Laura Backeberg, and emojis by Shutterstock
- Article from Teen Breathe Issue 6 – buy the digital edition here