According to international research, every generation now uses emojis in digital communication. This visual language fits perfectly with today’s media landscape, where short and easily understood messages compete for attention. Emojis play a particularly important role on social media where not only do they add colour to what we say, but they also help express emotions and reactions instantly and visually.
According to Yettel’s latest comprehensive survey, three out of four respondents have received an emoji whose meaning they weren’t entirely sure about. A misunderstood symbol or a differently interpreted icon is often enough to cause people to talk past each other. Interestingly, the most common misunderstandings don’t occur in romantic messages, but rather between generations.
When an emoji means something different to grandma than to her grandchild
It’s no surprise that misunderstandings are so common – after all, the same emoji can mean entirely different things depending on who’s sending it and who’s reading it. According to research by Yettel, the biggest gap in interpretation surrounds the thumbs-up emoji. While three-quarters of respondents (76%) view it as a straightforward sign of approval or positive feedback, 27% of Gen Z clearly interpret it negatively – seeing it as a symbol of rejection, sarcasm, or even an insult. The classic smiling face emoji is another example of this generational divide. A majority of older users (57% of Gen X and Y) perceive it as kind, friendly and positive. in contrast, 45% of Gen Z see it as passive-aggressive or dismissive – almost like saying, “This isn’t even worth replying to”.
“Younger generations are the digital trendsetters, while older ones tend to follow. This difference is clearly reflected in emoji usage as well. Generation Y sits somewhere in between: they use emojis confidently but no longer shape their evolving meanings – instead, they keep a close eye on those changes. As a result, they often act as intermediaries between different layers of digital language,” explains media researcher Ádám Guld, who believes that emojis today go far beyond simple emotion-expressing pictograms.
2025 emoji trends: apathy, environmental awareness, and AI
According to Ádám Guld, if the internet is the new space for conversation, then emojis are its gestures – constantly evolving from year to year. In 2025, the release of Emoji 16.0 brought not only new characters but also fresh layers of social and emotional impressions. Some quickly rose to prominence, like the puffy-eyed face emoji, which many users feel captures the emotional turbulence of 2025. In creative and artistic-themed posts, the painter’s palette has become increasingly common; while discussions about security issues often include the fingerprint emoji. Environmentally conscious users frequently use the bare tree to highlight the consequences of climate change. Meanwhile, the rising popularity of AI is symbolized by young users through the emoji of “magical” sparks – subtly signalling the mystique and innovation surrounding new technologies.
“The world of emojis is evolving rapidly, and it’s important to consider not just which ones we use, but how and in what context,” says Ádám Guld. “Meanings can vary across generations, platforms, and topics. While younger people often use emojis creatively, almost like a digital dialect, older users tend to use them out of necessity”. This shift is part of a broader transformation shaped by digital culture: it’s no longer enough to simply know the tools, you must also understand the meanings beneath them.
To avoid conflicts caused by emoji use, follow these three basic rules:
- Don’t assume that everyone interprets a given symbol the same way – especially in family or workplace conversations.
- Don’t hesitate to ask if something’s unclear – this way, you can avoid awkward misunderstandings.
- Bear in mind that emojis evolve too – what was considered a smile ten years ago might now be seen as sarcastic or passive-aggressive.
The survey was conducted online between 14 and 25 March 2024, on a sample of 1,006 respondents. The sample is representative of Hungary’s population aged 16 to 65 by age, gender, region, type of settlement, and level of education. (Impetus Research)