“You’re a rockst⭐r *heart eyes*” – What the Functions of Emoji Reveal about the Age and Gender of their Users on Instagram
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Abstract
Emoji have become an integral part of computer-mediated communication, and their use has been soaring since their introduction to Apple phones in 2011. Previous studies have identified age differences in the use, perception, and interpretation of emoji, but age differences regarding the functions that emoji serve and how they are related to pictures they accompany have not yet been investigated. Based on a corpus of 60 Instagram users, this study investigates whether younger Instagram users employ emoji differently from older users, and also whether gender-related differences exist in the choice of emoji and in the functions that emoji serve in relation to both pictures and texts. The analysis makes use of an emoji classification system designed for authorship analysis and expands that system by adding more fine-grained distinctions. Findings indicate higher use of emoji by females and younger users, as well as age- and gender-related functional differences in emoji use.
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