Tweet with a smile: The selection and use of emoji on Twitter in the Netherlands and England

Abstract

Emoji, colourful pictographs showing faces, creatures and objects, have seen a surge in popularity and number in recent years. This exploratory study strives to answer the following question: how and why are emoji used on Twitter in the Netherlands and England? By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, we identified three important factors explaining emoji usage: the individual’s purpose on Twitter, the perceived functionality of emoji and the individual’s selection criteria for emoji. Overall, emoji play an important role in online communication and their use is more complex than their light-hearted appearance may suggest.