The Use of Emoji Across Age Groups: Insights from the Exchanges of Music Fandom in Twitter/X Discourse

The increasing use of emoji in digital communication should benefit people who actually utilize them, especially when it comes to maintaining efficient communication between lecturers and students. Several studies on the use of WhatsApp emoji have been conducted, but little is known about the use of emoji by lecturers and students in their communication through WhatsApp conversation group. Using the Media Richness Theory proposed by Daft et al. (1987), this study aimed to explore the use of emoji between three lecturers and five students of the Master of Language in Digital Communication and Culture (MLCDC) program at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). By performing Thematic Analysis, the findings of the study revealed that the majority of participants favored using emoji over words since it helped to communicate and deepen feelings in the WhatsApp social media academic group. Furthermore, participants perceived emoji as nonverbal communication to replace words or sentences because it was easier, faster (saving time), and minimized ambiguity while talking with lecturers/students in WhatsApp social media academic groups. However, there are some drawbacks to emoji, such as the fact that it may have varied meanings depending on who sends the message and may not be appropriate for the WhatsApp social media academic group.

Young adulthood (18–29 years) and mature adulthood (30 years or above) represent distinct psychosocial stages, characterized by differences in brain maturity, cognitive development, emotional regulation, and vulnerability to disordered eating. This study examined the intersection of emotional intelligence (EI), diet quality, and pathological eating behaviors (PEB) across these age groups, addressing gaps in population-specific research. A total of 1,386 participants aged 18 and older completed an anonymous survey, which included demographic questions, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), and the Food-Mood Questionnaire. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Pearson Correlation Coefficient analysis were conducted using SPSS version 28. The results indicate that mature adults are more likely to exhibit higher EI when consuming a healthy diet. Mature adults who consume dark leafy greens are more likely to be able to find ways to control their emotions (p<0.01) and less likely to find it difficult to bond with others (p<0.01). Both young and mature adults who consume fast food are less likely to address their stressors (p<0.01). In young adults only, fast food consumption was significantly correlated with having their weight judge how they view themselves as a person (p<0.01). Young adults who had difficulties regulating their emotions were more likely to eat secretly (p<0.01) and lose control of eating (p<0.01). Young adults who consume more caffeine are also more likely to engage in PEB through the desire for an empty stomach (p<0.01) and fear of gaining weight (p<0.01). No significant correlations among mature adults were found between caffeine consumption and PEB. Young adults revealed additional significant correlations with low EI: they are less likely to believe they have personal strengths (p<0.01) and don’t feel able to influence the feelings of others (p<0.01). Adults aged 30 and older exhibited higher emotional intelligence (EI) even with poor diet quality. Mature adults however did demonstrate increased PEB when both diet quality and EI were low. In this study, diet quality emerged as a moderating factor, with younger and mature adults showing higher susceptibility to emotional triggers leading to PEB when consuming nutrient-poor diets. These findings also suggest that the psychosocial changes of early adulthood amplify the impact of poor diet quality and low EI on disordered eating. This study highlights the importance of age-specific interventions to address these risks. For young adults, targeted mental health programs that enhance emotional resilience, combined with nutrition education, may mitigate early-stage pathological eating behaviors (PEB). For adults aged 30 and older, interventions emphasizing sustained emotional development and dietary improvements could address persistent vulnerabilities. This novel study underscores the role of diet quality as a moderating factor in PEB and EI across adults, highlighting young adults as a particularly vulnerable population to the combined effects of poor diet quality and low EI on increased susceptibility to PEB. This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2025 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.

Emoji (e.g., 🤪✈🧁) are increasingly used on social media by people of all ages, but little is known about the concept ‘emoji literacy’. To investigate different age groups’ emoji preferences, an exploratory corpus analysis was conducted using an innovative corpus-gathering method: children and adults were instructed to add emoji magnets to pre-constructed printed social media messages. The corpus (with 1,012 emoji) was coded for the number of emoji used per message, the type of emoji, their position and function in the message, and the sentiment they conveyed. Intuitions about emoji use turned out to be similar for children and adults, with greater use of facial emoji, emoji at the end of messages, emoji to express emotions, and emotional emoji to convey positive sentiment. Children’s emoji preferences were studied in more detail. Results revealed that their age, gender, smartphone ownership, and social media use related to differences in the number, position, and function of the emoji used. The data showed that older children, girls, children with their own smartphone, and children using social media exhibited a more advanced and sophisticated use of emoji than younger children, boys, and children without smartphones or social media experience. This study constitutes an important first step in exploring children’s emoji literacy and use.

COVID-19 severity, rather than sex or age, predicts SARS-CoV-2 kinetics, and SARS-CoV-2 viral load from lower respiratory tract specimens may predict severe disease days before clinical deterioration for COVID-19 patients.

BackgroundAdvances in rheumatology and new therapeutic options have certainly impacted patient survival, changing the age range, from youth to seniors. The differences between the age groups could influence the evolution...

This research aims to explore how people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) use emojis on social media and the communicative functions of emojis, including gender differences in assessing appropriateness. The study is based on in-depth interviews with fifteen participants representing different gender, cultural and age groups. The interviewees include six males and nine females, with an age range from 18 to 45 years. The findings emphasize the importance of diversity of perspectives and sensitivities when using emojis in communication, raising questions about the role of emojis in reinforcing or challenging traditional gender norms within the UAE and how individuals navigate the intricate balance between self-expression and cultural norms in their digital interactions. Moreover, ‘emotional emojis’ were favoured by participants from every generation, apart from those in their 20s, although the specific emojis that best expressed those emotions varied. The findings also indicate the use of emoji as a cultural barometer within the digital realm of the UAE. The nuances in emoji preferences, usage frequencies and interpretations across different cultural groups, particularly between Emirati and non-Emirati populations, vividly portray how emojis mirror the complex tapestry of cultural identity and interaction. These emojis, as digital symbols, emerge as profound reflections of the rich cultural dynamics that shape the UAE’s digital landscape. This study adds to the body of research on digitized communication, particularly in the Arab context, and contributes to understanding how emojis are used to create meaning online.

BackgroundSince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, many countries around the world have imposed lockdown measures in order to reduce virus spread. Social isolation is known to have a significant psychological impact, potentially triggering alcohol misuse in adults. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 lockdown measures on alcohol consumption in adults in Bavaria.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 2067 participants, with 1961 young adults (mean age 23.3 ± 4.1) and 106 mature adults (mean age 66.7 ± 9.7). Participants were asked to complete a standardized questionnaire, semi-quantitatively evaluating the alcohol drinking behaviour before and during the pandemic lockdown.ResultsAfter implementation of lockdown, the alteration of alcohol consumption was significantly different between young and mature adults (p < 0.001). Among young adults, 42% reported unchanged drinking behaviour compared to 76% in the mature adult group; 44% of young adults reported to drink less compared to only 7% of mature adults. An increase in alcohol consumption was only reported by 14% of young adults and 17% of mature adults. Interestingly, in the entire cohort, the change of alcohol intake was most pronounced among moderate drinkers (> 0 to < 5 drinks/week) in both age groups (p < 0.001). Ordinal logistic regression revealed female sex, low BMI and younger age to be associated with a decrease in number of self-reported drinks/week.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown significantly affected alcohol drinking behaviour. Further studies exploring long-term effects on potential alcohol misuse and the relevance on public health are warranted.Trial registrationThe study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04361877) on April 24, 2020.

Decorporation of intravenously injected monomeric 241Am and 237+239Pu by the administration of 30 mumole Zn-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)/kg each day beginning 2 weeks after radionuclide injection was compared in beagles entered into the experiment when 3 months (juveniles). 1.9 years (young adults), or 10 years (mature adults) old and studied for about 5 months. DTPA therapy was most effective in the juvenile dogs and least effective in the mature adults. Retention of 241Am in the liver decreased from a pretreatment value for adults of about 50% of the injected activity to about 10% in the mature adults and less than 1% in the young adults at 140 days of treatment, while the liver retention of juveniles decreased from pretreatment values of about 16% to undetectable levels by 28 days of treatment. Plutonium retention in the liver decreased from adult pretreatment levels of about 30% of the injected activity (corrected for radioactive decay) to near 10% in the mature adults and 6% in the young adults at 140 days of treatment, while juvenile liver retention decreased from pretreatment values near 15% to undetectable levels by 56 days of treatment. Nonliver Am retention (mainly skeleton) decreased in mature adults from pretreatment values of about 45% of the injected activity to near 25%, in young adults from 35 to 20%, and in juveniles from roughly 70 to 9% by 140 days of DTPA administration. Nonliver Pu retention decreased from pretreatment values of about 50% of the injected activity (corrected for radioactive decay) for mature and young adults to about 30% by 140 days and from 75 to 16% in juveniles over the time period.

To evaluate the effects of the tooth eruption process on the position of teeth adjacent to implant-borne restorations in adult patients compared to patients in their late adolescence. The sample included 28 patients divided into two groups. A "young adult" group consisting of 14 patients, aged from 15.5 to 21 years, and a "mature adult" group consisting of 14 patients, aged from 40 to 55 years. All patients presented missing anterior teeth, requiring insertion of 40 implant fixtures (16 central incisors, 12 lateral incisors, 12 canines). The implants were of the Straumann Dental Implant System, clinically and radiologically re-evaluated 1 year or more after the surgical procedure (mean interval=4.2 years). Assessment of the eruption of the adjacent teeth was performed using the implant as a stable point of reference: measurements of the different reference points were compared after implant placement and at follow-up examination. In the "young adult" group, all patients showed infra-occlusion of the implant-supported crowns: the vertical step measured on radiographs varied between 0.1 and 1.65 mm. In the "mature adult" group, all patients showed a vertical difference between the teeth adjacent to the implant-supported crown and the implant: the measured step ranged from 0.12 to 1.86 mm. No difference was found in the amount of vertical eruption between male and female patients, nor according to localization of the implant. Mature adults can exhibit major vertical steps after anterior restorations with osseointegrated fixtures to the same extent as adolescents or "young adult" individuals with residuous growth potential.

In vivo [ 31P]NMR studies on the influence of age on rat brain hypoxia

Given that sharing is a fundamental activity among social media users, this study explores the associations between sharing activities in social media and their psychological social well-being in two age groups – young and mature adults. We focus on two dimensions of social and psychological well-being which are life satisfaction and loneliness. We examine four social media platforms which are social networking sites, microblogging services, video-sharing sites and photo- sharing sites. The study comprised of 171 adult social media users in Singapore. Data analyses revealed that young adults who participated in more sharing activities in social networking sites reported higher life satisfaction and lower loneliness. Mature adults who participated more in sharing activities on social networking sites reported lower life satisfaction and higher loneliness. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

Role of aging and striatal nitric oxide synthase activity in an animal model of tardive dyskinesia

The article analyzes emoji as a story-containing discursive practice of digital communication, which has a sign nature and replaces the verbal sign. The study describes the semantic, syntactic and pragmatic features of emoji functioning in digital communication. Syntactically, emoji act as punctuation marks, signaling a change of topic within a conversation, or completing it. The semantics of emoji are mostly determined by the message context and their connotative meanings, the interpretation of which depends on various linguistic and extra-linguistic factors. The pragmatic potential of emoji is manifested in the demonstration of human attitudes towards the surrounding reality, the interlocutor and oneself. It was found that the use of emoji is aimed not only at saving language and time in the process of communication, but also at establishing new semantic nuances and evaluative components of the text of the message. However, it is noted that communication based solely on the use of emoji cannot be full-fledged. In the context of the story concept, emoji implement plot characteristics, revealing the plot construct created by the verbal text. In addition, emoji are characterized by metaphoricity, acting as a kind of symbols, metaphors expressing an emotional state, action, phenomenon or process. The analysis of the factual material also allowed to draw a conclusion about the dual nature of emoji, which can both express universal emotions, stereotypes and values, and have a national and cultural specificity

The research explores how much do people of different age use the emoji in digital communication. It also studies the purposes behind the use. The study compares three different age groups. It aims to find if there are any significant differences among groups. Different aspects of emoji use are researched worldwide but there is less evidence from age perspective. There is very little research done in Pakistani context. So, this study adds to knowledge in the field in Pakistani context. A representative sample is chosen from intermediate, undergraduate and postgraduate students through quota sampling from colleges and universities from Hyderabad, Sindh in 2017. The participants fill the questionnaire and data is analyzed quantitatively. The study explores if emoji are effective for all generations or a specific generation. The study helps understand different attitudes towards use of emoji.

Age-related differences in the severity of sexual dysfunction symptoms and psychological distress in individuals with multiple sclerosis