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What is your favourite go-to emoji? IMAGE: Nicholas Yong

Here Are 24 Emoji Facts To Commemorate World Emoji Day 2024 ๐Ÿ“…

Happy World Emoji Day! ๐ŸŒ๐ŸŽ‰

Did you know that emojis have been used for over 20 years? It all started in 1999 when artist Shigetaka Kurita created the first set of 176 emojis for Japanese mobile phone company DOCOMO.

World Emoji Day was first celebrated on 17 Jul 2014, thanks to Jeremy Burge, the founder of Emojipedia. The date was chosen because itโ€™s the one shown on the calendar emoji ๐Ÿ“…

We dive into 2๏ธโƒฃ4๏ธโƒฃ of our favourite emoji facts to celebrate this iconic day!

IMAGE: WORLD EMOJI DAY

1. The winner of the most popular emoji of 2024 ( according to World Emoji Day) is the ๐Ÿ™‚โ€โ†”๏ธ head shaking horizontally, followed by the ๐Ÿ™‚โ€โ†•๏ธ head shaking vertically, and the ๐Ÿฆโ€๐Ÿ”ฅ phoenix in third place. 

2. Thereโ€™s also a โ€œLifetime Achievement Awardโ€ for the emoji thatโ€™s the most popular, significant, and notable on our tiny screens. This yearโ€™s winner hasnโ€™t been announced, but 2023โ€™s recipient was ๐Ÿคฃ - the rolling on floor laughing emoji.

3. More than 10 billion emojis are sent every day across the globe. That's more than the number of people on Earth! Talk about emojis being a universal language ๐ŸŒ

4. The most frequently used emoji is the laughing face ๐Ÿ˜‚, followed by the red heart โค๏ธ, and then the rolling on the floor laughing emoji ๐Ÿคฃ - what is your fav emoji of all time?

5. Itโ€™s no wonder the ๐Ÿ˜‚ emoji became Oxford Dictionariesโ€™ โ€œWordโ€ of the Year in 2015.

6. The cowboy hat emoji tops the list of the most misunderstood emojis. Yeehaw! Or maybe not? ๐Ÿค โ“

7. Half of emoji users often don't use them according to their intended meaning. Like the ๐Ÿค , what emojis are you most confused about ๐Ÿ™ƒโ“

8. Our brains recognise images in just 13 milliseconds, making emojis an excellent communication tool. No wonder emojis are so effective lah ๐Ÿง 

9. Your iPhone has more than 3,600 emojis to choose from. That's a lot of tiny pictures ๐Ÿ“ฑ๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ

10. The No. 1 reason people use emojis is because they believe emojis help them express their thoughts more accurately. Yup, sometimes, words just arenโ€™t enough ๐Ÿ’ญโœจ

11. Messages with an emoji are 50% more likely to get a response. Want a reply from your potential Tinder date? Add a smiley ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ“ฉ

12. Thereโ€™s an emoji anthem, written and produced by Jonathan Mann. Donโ€™t blame us if it gets stuck in your head ๐ŸŽค ๐ŸŽถ

13. On X, 86% of emoji users are 24 years old and younger. Emojis are definitely the language of Gen Z ๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿ‘ถ

14. 32% of Gen Z have used an emoji to end a relationship. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but sometimes itโ€™s a breakup message ๐Ÿ’”๐Ÿ“ฒ

15. 73% of people think that including emojis in messages makes them appear cooler ๐Ÿ˜Žโœจ

16. 92% of people online use emojis. Almost everyone online is emoji-savvy ๐ŸŒ๐Ÿ‘

17. 88% of people feel more empathetic towards someone who uses emojis. What are the emojis you send to your loved ones? ๐Ÿ’–

18. On Facebook Messenger, 900 million emojis are sent daily without any text. Who needs words when you have emojis? ๐Ÿ—จ๏ธโœจ

19. Half of Instagram comments include at least one emoji. Does that mean Emojis are the heart of Instagram? ๐Ÿ“ธโค๏ธ

20. 44% of shoppers are more likely to purchase something if emojis are used in the marketing. Emojis arenโ€™t just for fun - theyโ€™re also good for business ๐Ÿ›๏ธ๐Ÿค‘

21. 78% of people believe using emojis affects how likeable someone is at work. A good tip if youโ€™re starting your first day on the job ๐Ÿข๐ŸŒŸ

22. 61% of people use emojis in their workplace communications. The office is full of secret emoji enthusiasts ๐Ÿข๐Ÿคซ

23. 65% of people find it easier to express emotions with emojis than over the phone. Emojis > phone calls ๐Ÿ“ž๐Ÿ˜Œ

24. 79% of emoji users believe sharing them at work helps convey ideas. Consider using them for your next successful brainstorming session ๐Ÿง ๐Ÿ’ก

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