Emo
jis have become an integral part of our daily communication in this present age. They convey a lot of emotions, thoughts and feelings with just a single image, and can even drive cultural conversations. These cute and colorful symbols are used in a variety of ways and can be found almost everywhere including conversations, advertisements, social media platforms and even in the law. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into some cool and interesting facts about emojis that you probably didn't know.
1. Emoji originated in Japan
Emoji was created in the late 90s in Japan by Shigetaka Kurita, a former employee of a Japanese telecom firm NTT Docomo. He had the idea of creating a simpler way to communicate via mobile telephones with pictorials instead of letters which lead to the birth of the first emoji set in 1999.
2. Emoji has a day set aside for its celebration
Yes, it’s true! World Emoji Day is celebrated annually on July 17 and was launched by Jeremy Burge, creator of the Emojipedia platform. The celebration is marked with the prediction of the emoji which will be added to various mobile devices in the coming year, emoji trivia, online activities and much more.
3. Emojis can save lives
In 2017, a teenager in England sent out an ambulance emoji to a friend after she started feeling unwell. The friend recognised it as a call for help, informed the emergency services, and they were able to get to the teenager on time to save her life. This is one of the many cases where a simple emoji saved a life.
4. The most used Emoji is….
The most used emoji worldwide is the ‘laughcry’ emoji. This should come as no surprise as almost everyone uses this emoji to express laughter and humor in their messages. This was revealed by SwiftKey, a keyboard app which analysed the use of emojis across various social media platforms and messaging apps.
5. An emoji was in the running for the Oxford English Dictionary’s annual word of the year
This happened in 2015, where the “Face with Tears of Joy” emoji was a finalist for Oxford English Dictionary’s annual word of the year. The winning word of the year that year was actually the “tears of joy” emoji.
6. Emojis have been used as evidence in court
Yes, emojis are now being used as evidence in courtrooms. In recent years emojis have been used as evidence in various court cases around the world. Emojis are now considered a viable form of communication that helps interpret text messages, social media posts, and any other forms of electronic communication.
7. There's an official Emojipedia
There’s an official emoji reference website called Emojipedia, which serves as a guidebook to over 3700 emojis. It was founded by Jeremy Burge, who is a well-known expert in the emoji world. It provides details on the meaning, history and correct usage of every emoji, so you can be sure to get it right every time!
In conclusion, the world of emojis is fascinating and there is so much to learn about them. From the origin of emojis to their use in law courts, there’s never a dull moment when it comes to these cute symbols. So next time you use an emoji, remember the rich history and cultural significance behind it. Happy World Emoji Day!