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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [TECHNOLOGY]

2 clusters · 9 sources · 12 days · First seen · Last updated

Global emoji usage trends

Overview

Analysis of 665 million emojis sent via Google’s Gboard keyboard indicates that the ‘loudly crying face’ (😭) has become the most used emoji globally. Data shared with The New York Times suggests that younger generations, specifically Generation Z, have repurposed the symbol to express intense humor, embarrassment, or being moved, rather than literal sadness.

This shift marks a decline in the popularity of traditional symbols like the ‘face with tears of joy’ (😂), which some younger users now view as outdated. Emerging trends show a preference for newer icons, such as the skull to signify laughing, the Moai statue for seriousness, and the wilting rose to represent a broken heart. The data highlights a growing generational divide in digital communication styles.

Entities

Google · Gboard · The New York Times

Timeline

  1. 12 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Crying face emoji becomes world's most popular symbol

    Google data shows the loudly crying face emoji is now the world's most popular, as Generation Z shifts away from traditional laughing emojis toward more nuanced digital symbols.

  2. 23 days ago

    [TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
    Google data identifies most popular global emojis for 2025

    Google data reveals the ‘loudly crying face’ (😭) is the world's most popular emoji in 2025, driven by youth culture. Google also introduced new keyboard accessibility features to resize emojis.

Sources

areavip.com.br · denik.cz · gentejoven.org · hipertextual.com · inmagazine.ig.com.br · mx.hola.com · noticiasdehoy.com.mx · ofeminin.pl · pplware.sapo.pt