Now Emojis may decode human behaviour

Emojis and emoticons, popular on social media sites and messaging apps, are not just for millennials. A 2014 survey of 1,000 people in the US showed only 54% of emoticon users were in the age range of 18-34.

Emojis may be taking over facial movements and body gestures, with more than 90% of online population now using typographic displays in texts and emails, say scientists who are trying to decode what their use may reveal about the human behaviour.

Early studies have found that these typographic displays can aid in cross-cultural communication and provide insights into user personalities, information that could be of interest to disciplines ranging from linguistics to marketing.

During face-to-face interactions, verbal and nonverbal cues such as facial movements, voice pitch, and shaking fists are essential to understanding the meaning of what we are communicating.

Researchers believe that emojis and emoticons are similarly used as visual aids to clarify and understand a message.

"We mostly use emojis like gestures, as a way of enhancing emotional expressions," said Linda Kaye from Edge Hill University in the UK.

"There are a lot of idiosyncrasies in how we gesture, and emojis are similar to that, especially because of the discrepancies as to how and why we use them," said Kaye.