Your emoji habits may reveal your age

Your emoji habits may point to an “emoji age” that differs from your actual age, Yle reports. Two questions can indicate whether you follow trends associated with younger or older users.

What does 😭 mean, and when did you last use 😂? If you answered “crying” to the first question and “yesterday or today” to the second, you are probably over 25 as an emoji user.

Younger generations use the crying emoji differently, while 😂 is already considered hopelessly outdated by them. The crying emoji has become a multipurpose symbol used when something is so funny, emotional or embarrassing that one could cry. It was the world’s most popular emoji last year, according to the New York Times.

Among the fastest-growing emojis is the withered flower 🥀, now used by Generation Alpha, people born in 2010 or later. It often expresses sadness or heartbreak. Google data showed that it was the emoji whose popularity grew fastest last year.

Millennials and members of Generation X barely know that the emoji exists.

The origins of popular emojis can be traced to different parts of the internet. The Brazilian flag appears to come from gaming culture, while the crossed fingers emoji is linked to K-pop.

The 🗿 emoji ranked 33rd in 2025. Although it can be difficult to find, its popularity has risen sharply recently. Young people use the Moai statue to express a stone-faced reaction or a raised eyebrow.