The Emoji Dilemma: Proceed With Caution

It All Begins Back in the 1990s

With the advent of chatrooms, people were using the internet to communicate in a way that had never been possible before, but wait, a dilemma! How do you convey a smile, sarcasm, or a casual shrug of the shoulders? Cue the first version of what became the emoji: emoticons. A simple :-) let people know you were happy, :-( the opposite, and for those who really knew their stuff, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ showed you weren’t fussed either way.

Over time, those simple hyphens and brackets transformed into something entirely different, a colourful collection of icons that, let’s be honest, we probably all use far more than we should. Many would argue that today’s emojis have become a universal language, transcending the barriers of text-based communication by adding emotional nuance to messages, no longer needing words to convey meaning. Take, for example, Andy Murray’s 2018 tweet using only emojis to share his wedding-day itinerary.

However, despite their widespread use, emojis can lead to misunderstandings, especially across cultures, age groups, or genders. This is something to be especially careful of in professional settings. A business deal could go south pretty fast if the angel emoji you intended to suggest honesty and kindness is misinterpreted as something far more sinister. At Yopla we treat that risk the same way we treat process risk in a Digital Maturity Audit: map it, measure it, and build guard-rails.

Let’s dive into how, why, and where these little icons might cause problems—and why you should think twice before giving that thumbs up.

A Brief History of Emojis

As emoticons grew popular, people wondered how to take things up a notch and get more icons into messages. The first set of emojis debuted in 1997 on a Japanese pager-like device called the J-phone. Just two years later, Shigetaka Kurita created a set of 176 emojis for mobile phones, kicking off the global emoji craze we know today.

As emojis spread around the globe, they evolved into a new form of expression—each culture putting its own unique spin on meanings. What might be a friendly gesture in one country could mean something entirely different somewhere else. This cultural divergence became so significant that in 2017, the world saw the appointment of its first-ever emoji translator, Keith Broni. His job: navigate the tricky waters of emoji interpretation and help bridge the gap between societies—proof that these little icons get complex in a global context.

Cultural Interpretations and Misunderstandings

Research shows our cultural backgrounds significantly influence how we interpret emojis. A study from the University of Nottingham highlighted that people from different cultures often perceive the same emoji in varied ways. In Western cultures, there’s a tendency to focus on the mouth when interpreting facial expressions; in Eastern cultures, the eyes take centre stage.

A 2020 paper in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking reinforced this: when emojis send mixed signals (e.g., happy eyes/sad mouth), Eastern participants leaned on the eyes, Western participants on the mouth. In collectivist cultures (e.g., East Asia), people are more attuned to subtle cues found in the eyes; in individualistic cultures, the mouth is the go-to. Small symbol, big stakes - just like a Tech-Stack Selection decision gone wrong.

Note on China: the slightly smiling emoji is not really used as a sign of happiness. As the least enthusiastic of the “positive” set, it can imply distrust, disbelief, or that someone is humouring you.

Earlier studies suggested people perceived smiley emojis similarly to real smiles. But a 2017 Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology study compared Japan (high emoji exposure) with Tanzania and Cameroon (lower exposure) and found stark differences. While all groups identified emotions on real faces equally well, participants from Tanzania and Cameroon struggled more with emoticons/emojis than Japanese participants. Internet access likely plays a role in how people learn and interpret this visual vocabulary.

Generational Differences

Younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z) tend to use emojis more frequently and with more nuance than Baby Boomers and Gen X. A CNN survey found younger participants use emojis to add depth and emotion, while many older users reported difficulty connecting certain emojis to intended meanings.

Context matters: younger users often employ playful or ironic uses that contradict traditional meanings—confusing for those reading more literally. One survey suggested 78% of respondents had felt confused by someone else’s emoji use. In professional settings, that confusion can be costly.

In professional contexts, these disparities can pose significant challenges. Misinterpretations of emoji use can lead to misunderstandings in communication, potentially affecting collaboration, productivity and potentially having an unintended business impact. For instance, a simple thumbs-up emoji may be seen as a positive affirmation by younger team members, while older colleagues might view it as dismissive or lacking engagement.

Bridging that gap inside a project team is the kind of “people-before-platforms” work that we tackle at Yopla.

Fun (serious) fact: Lawmakers in Canada recently ruled that a thumbs-up emoji can be as good as a signature for obligating the sender to a legally binding contract.

Platform Variations and Contextual Ambiguity

Emojis are standardised by Unicode, but Apple, Google, Microsoft and others design them differently. That can change how they’re perceived. Research by Tigwell and Flatla shows the same emoji can look different across platforms, altering the intended meaning. A “winking face” might be playful on one device and… questionable on another.

Rodrigues et al. found iOS emojis are often seen as more aesthetically pleasing and meaningful than Android’s, hinting that device choice subtly shapes interpretation.

Stat: 17.7% of messages containing emojis would be edited or not sent at all if users knew how their emojis appeared on different platforms.

Micro-habit: screenshot your team’s most-used emojis on iOS, Android and Teams, then share during onboarding—a tiny Implementation habit with big clarity upside.

The Ones to Treat With Caution

So, we've discussed some of the reasons behind different interpretations of emojis, but which ones should you really think twice about before using? It’s important to consider that certain emojis carry meanings that can vary widely depending on the context, culture, and even the platform you're using. Here are a few you should be particularly mindful of!

👋 The Waving Hand

A waving hand might seem like one of the most innocent gestures in the Western world - it’s hard to imagine it meaning anything other than “hello” or “goodbye.” But if you’re chatting with people from China, South Korea, or Pakistan, you might want to think twice before sending that friendly wave.

• China: can imply a firm “goodbye” (as in ending a relationship).

• South Korea: palm-out wave is used to beckon animals—aim at a person and you risk offence.

• Pakistan: can be read as an insult.

👏 Clapping Hands

Clapping hands to applaud something or someone has been around since the days of the Roman Empire, and it's one we still often use with gusto. Today, we often send the clapping hands emoji to friends, colleagues, or even strangers, when we want to congratulate or cheer them on. But before you hit send, be aware ... if you’re in China, that friendly applause might be taken as an invitation to the bedroom rather than the boardroom.

• China: can carry intimate connotations. Your “well done” might not land as intended.

👌 OK Hand

Another seemingly innocent gesture, the OK hand emoji, is one you should definitely handle with care. Whether you’re using it in team chats or in real life, this emoji can cause a lot more trouble than it’s worth in certain parts of the world.

• Brazil: vulgar (“scatological”)—akin to the middle finger.

• Parts of Europe: “zero/worthless,” not “OK.”

• Arabic countries: linked to the evil eye with certain movements.

• USA: politicised associations in some contexts. Net: high risk, low reward.

🤘 Sign of the Horns

In many countries, the sign of the horns is synonymous with heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll, a gesture that says “rock on” or “hardcore.” It’s a symbol of musical rebellion and high energy that you might throw up at a concert or even in a fun text to a fellow music lover. However, before you start flashing those horns everywhere, there are a few places where this gesture might get you into hot water.

• Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Brazil, Colombia, etc.: a serious insult implying someone’s being cuckolded. Outside metal concerts, handle with care.

👍 Thumbs Up

With the rise of social media and the ubiquitous “like” button, the thumbs up gesture has become a go-to symbol of approval across much of the world. In the West, it’s a simple, positive way to say “good job” or “all good.” However, before you start giving the thumbs up to everyone, everywhere, it’s worth noting that this gesture doesn’t carry the same friendly meaning in every culture.

• Iraq, parts of the Middle East, Greece, some African regions: can be offensive, akin to a Western middle finger. Generally fine in the West, but check your audience.

👼 The Angel

The angel emoji - whether you know it as a putto, cherub, or cupid - seems like the perfect way to express love, and innocence. After all, what’s more adorable than a haloed cherub? But if you’re chatting with someone from China, you might want to think twice before hitting send on this seemingly sweet emoji.

• China: associations with death rather than innocence. Cute for you, ominous for them.

🏩 “Hospital” (…Not Quite)

It’s easy to see why anyone outside of Japan might use this emoji to indicate a hospital or to wish someone a speedy recovery. After all, it’s a building with a heart on it, and some versions even have a big letter "H" on the front - everything about it screams “hospital,” doesn't it? Well, not quite.

• The official Unicode name reveals it’s a love hotel. In Japan, using it as “get well soon” can send a very different message.

The Serious Side

Sending a misinterpreted emoji might seem like just a minor blunder, but it can actually have serious consequences. In the U.S. alone, over 1,000 legal cases have referenced emojis in court documents, which means that judges are now having to set precedents on how these digital symbols should be interpreted in legal contexts. This trend highlights just how important it is to be mindful of how emojis are used, especially when the stakes are high. Here are just a few examples where emojis have got the sender into hot water:

• Burrows v. Houda (2020, Australia): A “zipper-mouth face” 🤐 in a tweet was ruled capable of conveying defamatory meaning. Burrows won the right to amend her claim.

• Dahan v. Haim (2017, Israel): An emoji-laden text created reasonable reliance (though not a binding contract). The senders paid damages (8,000 shekels).

• Apatoff v. Munich Re (2015, USA): Internal emails with smiley emoticons suggested managers were pleased about a termination—undermining a defence.

• Houston Rockets (2015, USA): A team tweet using a gun emoji aimed at a horse (opponent’s mascot) led to the social media manager’s dismissal.

Need governance templates? Check our Continuous Improvement playbooks.

How We Reduce Emoji Risk (Without Killing Flow)

• Map the habits: where emojis show up in approvals, decisions, client comms.

• Set light guard-rails: a short list of “safe” emojis for external messages; define no-go icons by market.

• Align platforms: prefer domain-based tools (Teams/Slack), SSO + MFA, retention on.

• Onboard the nuance: show cross-platform renderings; include a “tone and emoji” page in playbooks.

• Review signals: spot-check threads during retros; tune the list quarterly.

Fast shouldn’t mean fragile. With tiny habits and clear defaults, you keep speed and reduce risk.