Emoji communication: oh so confusing 🤬🍑🤯

Whilst emojis have made online communication more fun and exciting, it has brought confusion and unnecessary tension – well, at least for me. Confusing because the way I perceive emojis is not 100 percent the way the person I’m chatting to does.

Its hard to convey them accurately and sometimes its not so easily clear if they are being used ironically or ‘matter-of-factly’ – so misunderstanding comes to play.

There is someone l know very well and honestly I never used to understand how they use emojis. I always felt like they were unhappy with me. First times l would ask if anything is a problem and there was no problem l was told- but the used emoji left a lot of questions to me. For an example I’ll ask for help with something then response comes back like, “okay 😏” what the hell does that emoji mean???! You don’t want to help? Is what l am asking for stupid? Am l bothering you?

I came to the realization that that’s how that person is. To them that emoji means a totally different thing. But l do have serious questions with their choice of emojis.

Once upon a time, a guy texted me, “I like you😐” and to me that didn’t make sense. Because honestly there are better emojis to use with that statement. Better yet, Don’t use any.

What l find funny though are people who use this emoji 😭 when laughing…BUT HOW ???

Anyhu with that said, l know emojis make better sense when there is text accompanying them or they are reacting to what’s been said but this is what these few emojis mean to ME:

🥴: crushed, could be emotionally or physically

🤣: this is the LMAO (Laughing My Ass Out) of the emojis

😬:unsure of what you saying or what was said…could be another subtle way of telling a person they are wrong

🥺: can’t really explain this one but it has to do with feeling all smooshy, or reacting to something cute, or happiness that comes from deep with, okay let me just say zvimanyukunyuku

🤲🏻: these hands to me look like they are begging

🍑: this is not just a fruit emoji

💦: this is also not just water droplets emoji (if you know you know)

I have learnt that emojis (which are not obvious) can be interpreted differently by another person and can have a different meaning depending on what’s being talked about.