{"id":3105,"date":"2025-07-03T04:20:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T11:20:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=3105"},"modified":"2025-07-03T04:20:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T11:20:17","slug":"the-emojis-that-signify-whether-youre-gen-z-or-a-millennial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/?p=3105","title":{"rendered":"The emojis that signify whether you\u2019re Gen Z or a millennial"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.independent.co.uk\/2025\/07\/03\/10\/03\/iStock-516214726.jpeg?width=1200&amp;auto=webp&amp;trim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"main\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"hydrate-root sc-10wlkbs-0\" data-component=\"SupportNSCNative\" data-loading=\"lazy\" data-theme-name=\"base\">\n<aside class=\"sc-hez36s-0 dFpFuY\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-1 dmMyEN\">\n<h3 data-testid=\"support-nsc-title\" class=\"sc-hez36s-2 fXvmgM\">Your support helps us to tell the story<\/h3>\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-8 juUDRT\">\n<div class=\"sc-hez36s-13 cqPbFA\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-0 rAFIl sc-hez36s-16 jZSKtc\">\n<div class=\"sc-aja53j-6 PdmgT\">\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content-container\" class=\"sc-aja53j-5 hJPJVF\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-collapsed-content\" class=\"sc-aja53j-4 lcJUSj\">\n<div>\n<div data-testid=\"support-nsc-collapsed-content-tablet\" class=\"sc-hez36s-7 laZbyn\">\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cKWiEj\">From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cKWiEj\">At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-1uza6dc-0 cKWiEj\">The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n<p><strong class=\"sc-1uza6dc-1 huxBsk\">Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"sc-aja53j-1 dLkuvY sc-aja53j-7 eMEmGu\"><span data-testid=\"dropdown-with-gradient-dropdown-tablet\" class=\"sc-aja53j-3 dHXFkr\"><span data-action-type=\"Read more\" class=\"sc-aja53j-2 jrwZqm\">Read more<\/span><svg class=\"sc-eaj12q-0 hUgQwJ sc-culv3z-0 eifaJK sc-a5wy94-0 hyKPon\"><use href=\"#ee6613da15642019\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Emojis, as well as memes and other forms of short-form content, have become central to how we express ourselves and connect online. Yet as meanings shift across different contexts, so too does the potential for misunderstanding.<\/p>\n<p>A senior colleague of mine recently encountered some commentary about the \u201cslightly smiling\u201d face emoji: \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<p>They approached me, asking whether it represented joy, as they had assumed, or if it had a more ominous meaning.<\/p>\n<p>As a chronically-online millennial, who unironically identifies as a gen Z, I bore the news that I, along with most younger internet users, only ever use it sarcastically.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t actually signify happiness \u2013 more so fake happiness, or dry humour,\u201d I explained.<\/p>\n<p>I also told them how the thumbs up emoji is often interpreted as passive aggressive, and that the only time I\u2019d use the laughing-crying (\u201cface with tears of joy\u201d) emoji is under duress.<\/p>\n<p>Despite seeming like a universal language \u2013 and sometimes they do function that way \u2013 emojis can be at once more vague, and more specific, than words. That\u2019s because you can\u2019t separate the meaning of a smiley from the person who sent it, nor from the person receiving it.<\/p>\n<p><h2>Markers of age and identity<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>While emojis were originally developed in the late <u>1990s by Japanese artist Shigetaka Kurita<\/u> to add emotional nuance to text-based messaging, their function has since evolved.<\/p>\n<p>Today, emojis are not just emotional cues; they also operate as cultural symbols and markers of identity.<\/p>\n<p>Research <u>published last year<\/u> highlights how these symbols can create subtle communication barriers across age groups. For instance, a study of Chinese-speaking WeChat users found younger and older people differed not only in how frequently they used emojis, but in how they interpreted and aesthetically preferred them.<\/p>\n<p>One emoji that\u2019s increasingly becoming a distinct marker of age is the previously mentioned laughing-crying emoji (\ud83d\ude02). Despite being named Oxford Dictionary\u2019s 2015 word of the year, and frequently topping the most-used emoji charts, this smiley is on the decline among gen Z \u2013 who decided in 2020 that it wasn\u2019t cool anymore.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they prefer the skull emoji (\ud83d\udc80), which is shorthand for the gen Z catch phrase \u201cI\u2019m dead\u201d. This means something is funny (not that they\u2019re literally deceased).<\/p>\n<p>Such shifts may understandably be perplexing for older generations who are unfamiliar with evolving norms and slang.<\/p>\n<p><h2>A digital body language<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Emojis can also take on distinct meanings on different platforms. They are embedded within \u201cplatform vernaculars\u201d: the ever-evolving styles of communication that are unique to specific digital spaces.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a thumbs up emoji (\ud83d\udc4d) from your boss at work is seemingly more acceptable, and less anxiety inducing, than from a romantic interest you\u2019ve just sent a risky text to.<\/p>\n<p>This dilemma was echoed in a recent viral TikTok by user @kaitlynghull, which prompted thousands to comment about their shared confusion over emoji use in the workplace.<\/p>\n<p>This reaction highlights a deeper communication issue.<\/p>\n<p><u>A survey<\/u> of 10,000 workers across the US, France, Germany, India and Australia, conducted by YouGov and software company Atlassian, found 65% of workers used emojis to convey tone in the workplace. But while 88% of gen Z workers thought emojis were helpful, this dropped to 49% for baby boomers and gen X.<\/p>\n<p>The survey concluded some emojis can be interpreted in multiple ways, and these double meanings aren\u2019t always safe for work.<\/p>\n<p><h2>In with the \u2018it\u2019 crowd<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Another example of platform-specific emoji use comes from social media content creators who deploy emojis to curate a certain aesthetic.<\/p>\n<p>Under the Tiktok tag #emojicombo, you\u2019ll find thousands of videos showcasing emoji combinations that provide aesthetic \u201cinspo\u201d. These combinations are used to represent different online identities or subcultures, such as \u201cthat girl\u201d, \u201cclean girl\u201d or \u201cold money\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Users may include the combinations in their captions or videos to signal their personal style, or to express the mood or vibe of their online persona. In this way, the emojis help shape how they present themselves on the platform.<\/p>\n<p>This example of emoji use is also a display of symbolic capital. It signals social alignment, in an environment where a user\u2019s visibility (and popularity) is determined by their platform fluency.<\/p>\n<p>Emojis, then, aren\u2019t just tools for expression. They are badges of identity that index where a user stands in the online cultural hierarchy.<\/p>\n<p><h2>There\u2019s a fragmentation in how we relate<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>A single emoji might communicate irony, sincerity or sarcasm, depending on who is using it, what platform they\u2019re using it on, and what generation they belong to.<\/p>\n<p>This gap points to deeper questions around online access and participation, and the systems that shape online cultures.<\/p>\n<p>And when the meaning of an emoji is platform-dependent and socially stratified, it can become as much about fitting in with a cultural in-group than conveying emotion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it&#8217;s investigating the financials of Elon Musk&#8217;s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, &#8216;The A Word&#8217;, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more Emojis, as well as memes and other forms of short-form content, have become central to how we express ourselves and connect online. Yet as meanings shift across different contexts, so too does the potential for misunderstanding. A senior colleague of mine recently encountered some commentary about the \u201cslightly smiling\u201d face emoji: \ud83d\ude42 They approached me, asking whether it represented joy, as they had assumed, or if it had a more ominous meaning. As a chronically-online millennial, who unironically identifies as a gen Z, I bore the news that I, along with most younger internet users, only ever use it sarcastically. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t actually signify happiness \u2013 more so fake happiness, or dry humour,\u201d I explained. I also told them how the thumbs up emoji is often interpreted as passive aggressive, and that the only time I\u2019d use the laughing-crying (\u201cface with tears of joy\u201d) emoji is under duress. Despite seeming like a universal language \u2013 and sometimes they do function that way \u2013 emojis can be at once more vague, and more sp&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3105"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}