Top 5 Most Interesting Facts about Emojis

Over the years, many have improperly assumed that emoji is a play on words. It’s just another way of saying emotion, right? Wrong. Emoji is actually a combination of the Japanese words for picture and character; the fact that it shares a resemblance with the words emotion and emoticon is just coincidence. Next time someone tries to be witty and asks you why you’re being so emoj-tional, bust out this wicked fact and we promise they will clam up faster than you can say speaker with a slash, bell with a slash, smiley face no mouth, thumbs up poop.

When you think about the late 90s, your mind probably drifts between the Spice Girls and Y2K freaks running around trying to stockpile batteries and canned hams. Yet, what you should really be thinking of is the birth of the emoji. That’s right. Originally created by programmer Shigetaka Kurita for use on Japanese cellphones, emojis didn’t really catch on in the mobile world until Apple released iOS 6 in 2012. However, their roots can be traced all the way back to a time when “Friends” was dominating network television. Kurita took inspiration from manga comics, Chinese characters and street signs when developing the first emojis. But despite their niche origins, emojis have become commonplace in nearly all forms of social media since their inception.

If you hadn’t heard of emojis before this video, well... how are things in 1998? Since 2004, the Oxford University Press has selected a word that achieved prominence during the most recent calendar year to serve as the Word of the Year. However, 2015 marked the first time that an emoji was bestowed with the honor. “Face with Tears of Joy” was selected because it was the most used emoji globally in 2015. According to mobile technology company Swiftkey, “Face with Tears of Joy” made up 20% of all emojis used in the UK in 2015, and 17% of those in the US. Seeing as how this is clearly NOT a word, maybe Oxford needs a new category specifically for emojis.

Just when you thought emoji-mania couldn't get any higher and more intense, out comes a novel that takes it to a whole other level. Pull your head out of your peach emoji for a second and let us explain. As the name “Emoji Dick” clearly implies, this novel is a translation of the classic Herman Melville story “Moby Dick” in emojis. Fred Benenson is the mastermind behind this unique literary work, having created a Kickstarter campaign for the project in April of 2015. The book took on a life of its own, with hardcover versions of the book now selling for $200 online. Is anyone looking for an unconventional coffee table book?

That’s right people. If you are looking to get lucky, then it’s time to drop the archaic use of consonants and vowels in favor of the winky face, thumbs up and eggplant. According to Match.com’s annual Singles in America survey, “emoji users in their 20s, 30s and 40s were more likely to report having sex at least monthly than non-emoji users”. The more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Helen Fisher of Rutgers University notes that since we can’t express ourselves as well with technology, this is our new way to convey emotions. Just remember, emojis can be fun, but they won’t save you when you actually have to meet your date in person.

Do you think you’ll buy a copy of Emoji Dick? How about using an emoji to flirt with that cute barista? For more awe-inspiring Top 10’s and insightful Top 5’s, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.