The growing use of emojis is turning them into a universal visual language. The faces of social networks and instant messaging apps accompany us in our day-to-day life.They are omnipresent and unite people from different cultures, diluting the differences between them.These are the conclusions of the more extensive and complete study about the most popular language among the millennial generation that a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and Pekin University, analyzing 427 million messages from almost four million smartphone users in 212 countries.
The results indicate that the most used emoticon worldwide is that of the smiley face with tears (15.4% of the total) , except for French citizens, who prefer the second globally, the one with the shape of a heart.The third most used is the emoji in love.
North Americans are the most active users of emojis in their communications followed by Brazilians and Mexicans. In this ranquin, Spain ranks fifth , very close to French.According to the report, the relationship between the gestures we make and our favorite emoticons is very close.In fact, the most prominent are in the categories: face, heart and hand.
According to the proportion of symbols used by messages, France leads the top with the presence of at least one emoticon in 20% of the messages sent , nine points above Russia, the second classified.On a global level and by age, the range of 21 to 24 years is the most attached to this type of language (28.8%) , above also of users who are between 18 and 20 years, with 25.2%.By gender, women use them more than twice as much as men.
emojis and cultural differences
If we look at cultural variables, we find some results curious. Countries related to high levels of individualism such as Australia, France and the Czech Republic prefer happy emoticons. On the contrary, in Mexico, Chile, Peru or Colombia, emojis that express sadness are more common.The study has also included expression through visual symbols of uncertainty in Saudi Arabia or Iraq.
Therefore, the study determines that although people from different cultures resort to emoticons according to their values, in general, these symbols are becoming a universal language which replaces gestures in new forms of digital communication.According to the report, the face that »cries with laughter», the heart and the emoji in love express global emotions that we all understand, diluting, by both cultural or linguistic barriers.
To carry out this study, researchers have turned to the app »Kika Emoji Keyboard» , downloadable on the Google Play application platform, with more than 1,200 emojis stored."Emoticons are in all parts and have become points of union that cross different cultures, "said Wei Ai, one of the main authors of the report, as we have been able to read in El Pais.
Source: El Pais and Michigan News
Images: Michigan News and Pixabay.com
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