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.
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.”
Xavier Lorenzo / Getty Images
“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.”
Miguel Pereira / Getty Images
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.”
Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images
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.”
Westend61 / Getty Images/Westend61
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:
The “skull” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “loudly crying face” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “weary face” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “hot face” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “smiling face with hearts” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “folded hands” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “face with raised eyebrow” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “exploding head” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “nail polish” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “smirking face” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “face with rolling eyes” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “melting face” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
The “eyes” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images
And finally, the “rolling on the floor laughing” emoji:
Apple
Anzhelika Poltavets / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Kseniya Ovchinnikova / Getty Images
Jsheets19 / Getty Images