I Asked Teenagers, 30-Somethings, And People In Their 50s What These Emojis Mean, And I Got Verrry Different Responses From Each Generation
Different generations have verrry different outlooks on life. We view work, the internet, technology, media, and fashion differently — hell, we can't even agree on a type of jean that's cool.
Sooo, of course, when it comes to emoji use, it's safe to say Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers are kind of all over the place.
Lionsgate Films
A recent poll revealed certain emojis that Gen Z would NEVER use, but I wanted to know more about their emoji use in the first place, and how it compares to older generations'. So, I decided to ask three different generations how they use certain emojis.
I talked to two members of Gen Z:
Jo (they/them): a 14-year-old high school freshman
Michael (he/him) : a 13-year-old 8th grader
Two millennials:
Emily (she/her): a 35-year-old writer and professor
Sam (she/they): a 29-year-old writer and artist
And two people in their 50s:
Ant (he/him): a 57-year-old medical professional (Gen X'er)
Mike (he/him): a late-50s medical professional (baby boomer)
Before I asked about specific emojis, I asked for their thoughts on generational emoji use.
Jo, a Gen Z'er, said that their generation doesn't use emojis "the way they’re supposed to be used," and instead, uses them "in an ironic way." They added, "We use emojis a lot as a joke or to imitate someone who would use them literally.”
“If I use a laughing emoji, it would be to imitate someone who uses that emoji.”
“Gen Z evolves really fast. If something's funny one day, it’s not necessarily funny the next day, so you have to keep up."
"Older generations use emojis very literally. They’re used to longer trends, so they don’t realize when something’s not funny anymore. It’s hard for them to keep up.”
Sam, a millennial, said she thinks younger generations "use emojis as punctuation or as a shorthand response." But "older generations and people not on the ‘net use them in a more serious way.”
Ant, a member of Gen X, said that he uses emojis more "in response to other people's texts." He added, "Younger generations use emojis more than we do. I'm more apt to just type something out."
And Mike, a baby boomer, said that he thinks older generations are "less likely to use emojis than other generations."
Next, I randomly picked some emojis and asked them what they mean to them or how they use it. Here's what they had to say:
1.The "skull" emoji:
Jo: "Gives off an 'I’m dead’ vibe, or you can use it as a substitute for ‘bruh.’"
Michael: “If something’s stupid.”
Em: “'Dead,' like 'this thing made me laugh so hard, I died' or 'I'm so shocked by something, but not in a scary way.'”
Sam: "Like, death from embarrassment or 'I’ve decided to pass away,' either from funnies or shock."
Ant: "I don't think I've ever used it, and I'm not sure how I would."
Mike: "I've never used it, but I would if I was saying someone is toxic."
2.The "loudly crying face" emoji:
Jo: “Laughing at something, but something that isn’t meant to be funny, like something traumatic.”
Michael: “Like, someone getting injured, but I’m laughing at it.”
Em: "'Omg that’s so beautiful' or 'cute' or 'good' or 'pure.'”
Sam: "My number-one most used emoji, literally always. Mostly used when I'm super happy or, like, feeling very loved. Sometimes, I use it when I'm sad but not, like, ~Real Sad~."
Ant: "If something really sad happened to me or to the person I'm texting, like if their cat died or something."
Mike: "If I heard somebody died, or if I was talking about an emotional movie."
3.The "weary face" emoji:
Jo: “If you were reacting to a hot person.”
Em: “'Help!'”
Sam: "'I can’t believe this' or 'why hath god forsaken me?'”
Ant: "If I was sad about something, like bad news. Or, if I can’t make it to your party."
Mike: "Bad news, sad news. But not somebody dying."
4.The "hot face" emoji:
Michael: “To tell your friends they’re hot, sarcastically, or as a joke.”
Em: "Overwhelmed, but I know it’s probably horny."
Sam: "'This person is so hot I’m sweaty.'"
Ant: "Never used it, but 'it’s really hot in here.'"
Mike: "If it’s like 101 degrees, and I’m feeling hot."
5.The "smiling face with hearts" emoji:
Jo: “A passive-aggressive way of bullying someone online. I see people use it in TikTok comments after they say something mean, like, ‘I hate you. 🥰’”
Em: "'Thank you, I’m feeling your kindness.'"
Sam: "I don’t use this a lot, but it’s like when someone appreciates something I did, I’ll use this as a ‘you’re welcome.'"
Ant: "If I was expressing love or caring about something or if I was happy to do something."
Mike: "If my family says something nice or sends me baby pictures. Or, if we're gonna get together or have a party. Basically, a happy state of mind."
6.The "folded hands" emoji:
Jo: “It's very versatile — you can use it if you think someone’s hot, after you thank someone, or ‘please,' like you're begging someone."
Em: "'Let’s hope so.'"
Sam: "'Please.'"
Ant: "The most annoying emoji. Someone will send me prayer hands if they want me to be safe, like, 'Have a safe trip.' Ugh, old people use them. It's what old Facebook people send."
Mike: "I use it like, 'God bless.'"
7.The "face with raised eyebrow" emoji:
Jo: “If something is, I hate this word, but ‘sus’ or if someone said something questionable or weird.”
Em: “'Really?!' or 'really…hmm interesting,' but sarcastically.”
Sam: "I don’t think I’ve ever used this because I usually use 🤔, but typically, it’s like, 'That’s suspicious' or 'That’s weird.'"
Ant: "Never used it, but I would use it as, 'Hmm, I wonder, that’s a tricky situation,' or if I’m kind of skeptical about the situation or what you’re saying."
Mike: "If someone says something against my beliefs or principles. Or, 'I don’t believe you.'"
8.The "exploding head" emoji:
Jo: “If someone tells me something I already know, basically sarcastically shocked."
Michael: “Sarcastically, like, ‘No shit, Sherlock,’ or if someone tells me something I don’t care about.”
Em: "'Mind blown.'"
Sam: "'Mind blown.'"
Ant: "Never used it, but if I was having a DAY, and there was so much going on, and my brain just exploded from bullshit."
Mike: "I’ve never seen this emoji, but I would use it, maybe if i’m confused or overwhelmed."
9.The "nail polish" emoji:
Jo: “'Gay' or 'slay.' Queer people use it to describe themselves. I feel like mostly queer people of color used it years ago, and then, other people started to use it ironically, like, I feel like a lot of straight guys use it ironically with their friends.”
Em: "A fancy thing."
Sam: “Literally, any time I’m talking about a queer person (myself included)."
Ant: "Just chilling, relaxing."
Mike: "If someone’s being a diva."
10.The "smirking face" emoji:
Jo: “Implying you’re gonna do something or hinting at something. Also, if someone's attractive, and you’re trying to be low-key about it."
Michael: “Sarcastically, when you’re being super sneaky.”
Em: "Mischievous."
Sam: "Joke flirting with my friends or if I’m up to something sneaky."
Ant: "No idea when I would use this."
11.The "face with rolling eyes" emoji:
Jo: “I use it the way it’s supposed to be used.”
Em: "Eye roll."
Sam: "Eye roll."
Ant: "If someone is telling you something about someone else, and you have no idea what that other person is talking about."
Mike: "When someone tells you they’re gonna do something stupid or dangerous."
12.The "melting face" emoji:
Jo: “'I wanna die' or 'ugh, I do not wanna do this.' Basically, a distaste for wanting to do something.”
Michael: “Bothered by something you have no control over.”
Em: "'Everything is bad, but here I am existing.' Very similar to the 'this is fine' coffee dog meme."
Sam: "'Everything is awful, and I hate it.'"
Ant: "I don’t know what that means."
13.The "eyes" emoji:
Jo: "I’ve never used it or seen anyone use it."
Em: "'I'm peeping,' like, 'oooh, I'm seeing it,' 'I'm looking.'"
Sam: "'You got a secret? What do you know?'"
Mike: "I haven’t used it. But, maybe when you see something incredulous and can’t believe your eyes."
14.And finally, the "rolling on the floor laughing" emoji:
Jo: "I'd use this to imitate someone who would use it. I'd never use it unironically."
Em: "It’s useful in more formal interactions where you don’t know if the person is getting your humor."
Ant: "I use this frequently — it's the one I use when something is the highest level of funny. 'Lmfao.'"
Mike: "Something's so funny that you’re in tears."
