In an increasingly connected world, emojis have become our second language. They express our emotions, spice up our messages and help us connect beyond words. But did you know that some emojis can make us happier than others?
A fascinating study published in the prestigious journal Nature analyzed the emotional reactions associated with different emojis. The study classified emojis into four groups: “neutral sentiment with a positive bias”, “moderately positive sentiment”, “strongly positive sentiment” and “neutral/dispersed sentiment”. ????????
Emojis from the “neutral feeling with a positive bias” group showed a moderate to high level of happiness. This group included emojis like “Relieved face” and “Face with sunglasses”. These emojis have been interpreted with words like “cool”, “happy”, and “satisfied”. It’s a good start, but we can do better! ????????
The “moderately positive feeling” group was a cut above, with emojis that evoked feelings of contentment and happiness. All of the emojis in this group had a smile or smiling eyes. It’s getting interesting, isn’t it? ????
But the “strongly positive feeling” group wins the jackpot! These emojis have been associated with feelings of euphoria and excitement. Like the emojis in the “moderately positive feeling” group, everyone in this group either had the corner of their mouth raised or their eyes smiling. Additionally, many of them had richer expressions, such as heart- or star-shaped eyes, rosy cheeks, or throwing hearts. The “Smiling face with smiling eyes” emoji has been interpreted with the words “happy”, “feeling good” and “excited”. ??????????
On the graph below, taken from the study, the emojis that make you the happiest are at the top right. While those who make the most unhappy are at the top left. So the happiest emoji is ???? (“Smiling Face With Heart-Shaped Eyes”)
So the next time you want to brighten someone’s day, don’t forget to send a “strongly positive feeling” group emoji. And remember, the more expressive accessories (hearts, stars, rosy cheeks), the greater the happiness! ????????
Whether you’re an emoji pro or a novice, this discovery could change the way you communicate. So, let’s go and spread some happiness with our favorite emojis!
