If you don’t use emojis in your correspondence, they may not make sense. Seven in 10 Americans feel that unless a message has an emoji in it, it is “incomplete,” according to a new survey ahead of World Emoji Day Sunday.
The Duolingo and Slack research found that Americans were more likely to see a lack of texts or messages without emojis, compared with respondents globally (71% versus 57%). At the same time, a quarter of Americans are confused about the difference between the Loudly Crying and the Face With Tears Of Joy emoji. For example, when shown the Loudly Crying emoji, 25% said they used it to show they were “crying with joy,” the same number as those who chose “sobbing/sad.” residue”.
And while the emojis look similar, respondents should be careful in case they appear to be smiling at the wrong time, the study recommends.
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But there are other emojis that can also be confusing. Thirty-eight percent of Americans polled said the skull emoji represents death, but a similar number (34%) said they use it to show something funny, like like they “die” from laughing.
Emojis at work
With so many hidden meanings attached to emojis, some of which have multiple meanings depending on the context – someone might question whether emojis belong in the workplace, but the survey shows that there are still many benefits.
Fifty-eight percent of global employees surveyed said using emojis in the workplace allows them to communicate more nuance with fewer words, and 55% said emoji use can speed up communication in the workplace.
Notably, the percentage is higher in the US – 69% of American respondents said emojis allow them to communicate in a more nuanced way, while 67% say it speeds up communication.
Furthermore, 67% of respondents globally feel closer and more engaged in a conversation when texting someone who understands the emoji they are using.
Globally, respondents are three times more likely to consistently use emojis when texting a co-worker than their boss (21% vs. 7%). Even then, some emojis were limited – the Kiss mark and Tongue emoji are the top two to avoid sending to your boss or co-workers.
The Poop emoji ranks third on the list of emojis that shouldn’t be sent to your boss, while Eggplant comes in at third if not sent to a co-worker.
And while Eggplant may be misunderstood by colleagues, one in five US respondents (21%) said eggplant is just a literal representation of fruit. That said, 34% of Americans surveyed said they use eggplant to show they’re “feeling flirty,” and 14% admit they’ve confused the meaning of that particular emoji. .
Overall, millennials globally are more likely to say that an emoji they sent was misunderstood by the recipient: 31% are Gen Z and 24% are millennials.
Use emoji globally
The survey also looked at how emoji usage and meanings may vary in different countries in the workplace. For global companies, the results show that emojis can be an easy source of misinformation – as meanings can vary greatly depending on where someone comes from.
Globally, when shown the Money With Wings emoji, respondents discerned whether it meant losing money or a cash flow. This varies by country. For example, respondents from Japan were more likely to choose “lose money” (59%) – compared with just 7% of those who said it referred to a cash flow, the report said.
When shown Throwing Face in the Kiss, American respondents tended to use it in a slightly more romantic way (34% vs 26%), as did Indian respondents (52%). compared to 27%). Japan is the opposite: 3 out of 10 Japanese people use emoji in a pure sense, compared with 16% who use it in a romantic way.
Xiao Ran’s face may not be as positive as some people think. While “feeling happy” (38%) and “general positivity” (39%) are the top-used emojis globally, many people also use them to express “rejoice.” deeply resentful and/or distrustful” (14%).
This more negative interpretation is more common in specific countries, including the US, where that choice got a fifth of the vote. This percentage is significantly lower in countries such as Japan (5%), South Korea (6%) and Canada (8%).
“Using emojis in the workplace goes beyond self-expression, inclusion, and culture to impact efficiency,” said Olivia Grace, senior director of product management at Slack. “Visual representation of tasks like group polls and feelings like ‘I got this, I see it, I’m working on it’, is easier to scan faster than with their written counterparts.”
Grace added that “When you see [the Eyes emoji] or one [Green Checkmark emoji] you know exactly what it means faster than reading through multiple ‘I vote for…’ or ‘I can do it if no one else can…’ messages. “
Meanwhile, get ready for more: 31 new emojis slated to release in the coming months Emojipedia. These include a trembling face, two pushers, pink, light blue and gray hearts, as well as a jellyfish and hairpin.
Duolingo and Slack say this random double opt-in survey of 9,400 hybrid office workers is evenly distributed across the US, UK, Canada, France, Japan, China, Singapore, India, Germany , South Korea and Australia from June 15 to 27. , 2022.
