We had tried to steer clear of using emojis — for naught. We’ve finally given in to their power, and today, our messages are littered with them. We’re not alone. Even brands are in on the action, as they target the picture-loving millennial generation with emojis. It’s no wonder then that the world now pays tribute to these digital icons.
As we celebrate the third #WorldEmojiDay today, July 17, 2016, let’s take a look at some of the things you may not know about emojis.
1) These were the most tweeted emojis from July 1, 2015, to June 30 this year.
The most tweeted emojis worldwide
2) The “grinning face with smiley eyes” icon was the most tweeted emoji in the Philippines the past year. See what’s popular in other parts of the world below. Take note that they don’t include those that are in the global top 10 ranking.
Top tweeted emojis by country
3) Flavor of the month doesn’t apply to food alone. Here, we take a look at the most frequently used emojis each month.
4) And the most popular emojis by category were…
Top tweeted emojis by category
5) Why are we not surprised? Japan invented the emoji — which comes from the Japanese words “e,” meaning “picture,” and “moji,” meaning “character” — in 1998 or 1999.
6) There are 6 billion emojis sent per day, according to Snaps CEO Christian Brucculeri.
7) Emojis are getting the respect they deserve. The well-regarded Oxford Dictionaries named the “face with tears of joy” emoji its word of the year in 2015. In 2014, media-analytics company Global Language Monitor revealed the <3 emoji topped the list of most popular words.
Oxford Dictionaries’ 2015 Word of the Year
8) Wish you could see the real-time use of emojis on Twitter? There’s a site for that. Track the data here.
9) If you are confused about emojis’ names and meanings, don’t worry. Here’s Emojipedia to the rescue. It was created by Jeremy Burge, who started the #WorldEmojiDay social media campaign in 2014. The date was set for July 17th because of the calendar shown on Apple iPhones.
10) And the one we find most amusing? According to a study conducted by OPPO, Australians believe sending emojis is the best way to make up with a loved one after a fight.
My most tweeted emoji: Apparently, I’m part of the “99 percent” worldwide; I usually use the “face with tears of joy” emoji.
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