Emoji have become the internet's most confusing language. Here's why

However, their meaning is context-dependent and can change dramatically depending on the platform, age and intentions of the user. What once seemed like a universal symbol of joy may now be perceived as sarcasm or even passive aggression.

Brittany Ferdinands, author of the article on The Conversation, shares:

"A senior colleague of mine once asked me what the emoji with a slight smile 🙂 meant. He thought it was joy. I had to explain that among younger users, it's most often irony or fake approval."

She adds that a "thumbs up" 👍 can also be perceived as a form of passive aggression, especially if sent in private correspondence. And the famous face with tears of laughter 😂, although recognised as word of the year in 2015 by Oxford Dictionary, is now considered outdated among Generation Z.

Emoji were originally created to add emotional colour to text messages. Their creator, Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita, couldn't even imagine how these symbols would become markers of cultural affiliation in the future.

"Symbols that once seemed universal are now dividing generations," researchers believe.

For example, a recent study on users of Chinese platform WeChat found that young and old not only use emoji differently, but also see them as having different aesthetic meanings.

While millennials still use 😂, Generation Z has replaced it with 💀 (skull), which means "I died laughing." Not literally of course - it's just a new form of expressing humour.

Context plays a key role. The same emoji can be perceived differently on different platforms. For example, a 👍 from a boss in Slack is OK, but the same symbol from the object of affection after a confession of feelings can look discouraging, to say the least.

As Ferdinands notes, this reflects a deeper problem:

"Emoji are becoming part of office etiquette, but not everyone understands them in the same way." In a survey of 10,000 employees in five countries conducted by Atlassian and YouGov, 88 per cent of Generation Z said emoji help them communicate emotions at work. Among baby boomers and Generation X, only 49% shared this view.

Emoji today are not just about emotions, but also a way to express your digital identity. This is especially evident on TikTok. Under the hashtag #emojicombo, hundreds of videos are published with a selection of emoji that reflect certain styles or "characters" - from "clean girl" to "old money".

Such combinations form a visual identity and also demonstrate the user's "digital literacy".

"Using trending emoji is a form of symbolic capital," the author writes. In other words, it is a way to show belonging to a certain group, to "fit in" with a trendy subculture.

Each new generation assigns its own meanings to emoji, and this can be confusing. The same symbol can mean sincerity, irony or sarcasm - depending on who is using it, on what platform and for what purpose.

The authors believe that "increasingly, emoji are becoming not a means of communicating feelings, but a way to show that you belong to the 'inner circle' of digital culture".