Emojis are a language in their own right.
Feeling angry? Middle finger emoji.
Feeling passive aggressive? Use the upside-down smiley face.
Want to express your best self? Unicorn emoji all the way.
We all have our favourite emoji and a different array of most frequently used emojis. But it turns out that emojis reveal a lot more than just our personality traits: new research suggests that people who use more of the mini icons when messaging get more dates and have more sex.
*quickly checks phone to see how many emojis I use when texting*
The research was conducted by members of The Kinsey Institute in Indiana University and the Department of Psychology in Lake Forest College in Chicago. It found that emojis contribute to a successful dating life – they’re a helpful tool when conveying personality traits, expressing feelings and flirting over text message.
The research used data from two separate studies that asked participants if they use emojis and why, and information on their dating lives—like how often the have sex.
According to the results of both studies, people who frequently use emojis when texting potential love interests reported more first dates and recurrent sexual activity. Participants who used emojis while texting their dates were also more likely to have a second date. They were also more likely to enter a relationship with said partner.
The authors of the journal paper wrote that “emoji use with potential partners is associated with maintaining connection beyond the first date, and more romantic and sexual interactions over the previous year.”
The authors of the research article have several explanations for why frequent emoji use could be linked to a thriving love life.
They ultimately concluded that people who use emojis may be better at forming intimate and emotional connections with others. Not only do emojis more clearly express the meaning in messages, but they’re also good at softening a harsh message or amplifying a positive one.
However, the research does not specify which emojis were used by participants. Is the eggplant emoji the way to a woman’s heart? (it isn’t). Or is it the kiss face? Science can’t help us there, friends.
Just use all of the emojis and hope for the best.