Roughly, an emoji is the graphical representation of an expression over the web. Millions of them are sent daily around the world, with a complement to digital communication, capable of more visually detailing the emotions in the texts.
While it is true that many users believe that emojis are an invention of the 21st century, their beginnings actually date back to the 90’s. This system of images, icons and figures was born in Japan thanks to the artist Shigetaka Kurita who designed 170 expressions represented in 12 x 12 pixels.
However, the popularity of emojis came many years later with the invention of instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Messenger, quickly becoming viral after the arrival of smartphones.
According to official Unicode figures, there are currently a total of 3,019 emojis, divided into 10 categories. Those that have the most are: people and the human body (1,606), flags (268), objects (233) and symbols (217). However, it is estimated that of this total, 82% of users use only 100 emojis.
On a daily basis, 92% of users who use instant messaging applications use emojis to communicate. Now we know, thanks to the Unicode Consortium, which are the ten most used emojis during the year 2021.
What are the most used emojis in 2021?
Face with tears of joy: This emoji is a yellow face with a big smile, raised eyebrows, and smiling eyes, each shedding a tear from laughing so hard. Widely used to show that something is fun or enjoyable.
Red heart: This classic red love heart emoji is used for expressions of love and romance.
Rolling on the floor laughing: A yellow face with a big smile and wrinkled X-shaped eyes, tilted sideways as if rolling on the ground laughing (the internet acronym ROFL). She sheds two tears and leans to the right on most platforms. It often conveys a hysterical laugh more intense than that of the face with tears of joy.
Thumb up: It is used to indicate a “I like” or I agree.
Face crying out loud: A yellow face with an open mouth crying and a stream of heavy tears flowing from the closed eyes. It can convey inconsolable pain but also other intense feelings, such as uncontrollable laughter, pride, or overwhelming joy.
Hands together: Two hands firmly placed together, meaning please or thank you in Japanese culture. A common alternate use for this emoji is to pray, using the same gesture as the praying hands.
Face blowing a kiss: A yellow face winking with pursed lips blowing a kiss, depicted as a small red heart. It can represent a kiss goodbye or good night and convey feelings of love and affection more generally.
Smiley face with hearts: A yellow face with smiling eyes, a closed smile, rosy cheeks, and several hearts floating around his head. Express a variety of happy and affectionate feelings, especially in love. The location of the hearts varies slightly depending on the platform.
Smiley face with heart eyes: A yellow face with an open smile, sometimes showing teeth, and cartoon-style red hearts for eyes. Often conveys enthusiastic feelings of love, infatuation, and adoration, for example, I love / am in love with this person or thing.
Smiley face with smiling eyes: A yellow face with smiling eyes and a wide, closed smile that turns into rosy cheeks. Often expresses genuine happiness and warm, positive feelings.
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