World Emoji Day: How these small icons are shaping communication

World Emoji Day! Today marks the 10th anniversary of this annual event that honours the tiny pictures with big emotions. Emojis have revolutionised the way we communicate over text messages, and their cultural impact is significant.

Recently a Canadian judge ruled thumbs-up emoji can represent contract agreement. The court ruled that emoji is just as valid as a signature and ordered a man to pay $61,442 for unfulfilled contract.

Emojipedia, the ultimate emoji authority, has released a list of the most popular emojis based on people's visits to their meaning pages. Topping the charts is the "Melting Face," an emoji that perfectly captures those moments of melting under pressure.

Additionally, Twitter has seen a significant rise in emoji usage over the years, with about 27 out of every 100 tweets now featuring at least one of these expressive icons.

Who created Emojis?

But that's not all! Brace yourself for the unveiling of the newest emoji collection for 2023-2024. Unicode, the governing body for emojis, will soon give the green light to 108 fresh emojis.

These include variations in skin colour and direction, ensuring everyone feels represented. Exciting additions like a lime, a head shaking vertically, and even a phoenix are on the horizon.

Emojis first appeared in 1999, thanks to the creative mind of Shigeta Kurita, the founding father of emojis. His initial set of 176 pixelated icons drew inspiration from Japanese graphic novels, symbols, and everyday expressions.

The iconic heart symbol, weather situations, and various facial expressions were all part of Kurita's brilliant creation. Today, there are a staggering 3,664 emojis in Unicode's vast library.

This World Emoji Day as we embrace the power of these little symbols that have transcended borders, it is no exaggeration that Emojis brought us closer together. Be it digital conversations or festivals, these tiny pictures add more flair to our communication.

Here are 5 most employed emojis by tech-savvy people in the world and the significance they carry:

1. 😂 Face with Tears of Joy: This emoji is all about laughter and is commonly used to show amusement or indicate something is funny.

2. ❤️ Red Heart: The classic red heart emoji is a symbol of love, affection, and deep emotions. It's often used to express heartfelt emotions towards someone or something. It represents adoration, infatuation, or a strong attraction.

3. 😊 Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes: This friendly emoji features a warm smile and cheerful eyes. It's commonly used to express happiness, contentment, or as a friendly greeting.

4. 😎 Smiling Face with Sunglasses: If you want to convey a cool, confident, or nonchalant attitude, this emoji with sunglasses is perfect. It's a symbol of being "cool" or "hip."

5. 🤣 Rolling on the Floor Laughing: Similar to the face with tears of joy emoji, this one is used to indicate extreme laughter or when something is incredibly funny.