Not long ago, if someone sent you a smiley face instead of writing, ‘I’m happy,’ you might have been confused. Fast forward to today, it’s hard to imagine texting without emojis.
Whether it’s a heart to say I love you, a flame to hype a friend, or a crying-laughing face to show you’re in stitches, emojis have become part of our everyday language.
Emojis also came to humanise digital conversations. For example, a simple “OK” can feel cold or flat. Add a smiling emoji and suddenly, it feels kind and not too serious.
That’s the power of emojis. They are tiny icons that pack big emotions by softening tone, adding emotion, and often say what we can’t.
In 1999, Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita, invented emojis. He created 176 simple symbols, including a heart, a sun, an umbrella, and a smiling face, in an effort to add feeling to text messages.
Back then, no one imagined these would become a global language, but that’s exactly what happened.
In 2011, Apple introduced the emoji keyboard, and people worldwide embraced it almost overnight. Today, there are nearly 4,000 emojis, from handshakes to hijabs, pride flags to prosthetic limbs.
Ever wondered why we celebrate World Emoji Day on July 17? That’s the date shown on the calendar emoji on iPhones.
Now, the day is marked by tech companies to unveil new emojis, for users sharing their favourites and for all of us to reflect on how far we have come.
Android users weren’t left behind for long. Google added native emoji support to Android devices in 2013, making emojis more accessible to billions of users across the world.
Seeing that they are a language without words, emojis often don’t need translation. A red heart means love in Nairobi, Tokyo, and New York. A face with tears of joy means laughter in every language.
And yet, emojis can also be deeply personal.
For some, the hands clasped together emoji means ‘prayer.’ For others, it means ‘thank you’ or ‘please.’ Among Gen Z, the skull emoji doesn’t mean death; it means ‘I’m dead from laughing.’
This isn’t just fun trivia. It matters especially when you’re building relationships through a screen. Emojis constantly shape how we connect, flirt, joke, comfort, and even protest.
It goes without saying, not all emoji stories are joyful.
In the recent Netflix series Adolescence, detectives investigating a teenage girl’s murder discovered that the boy responsible had been relentlessly bullied online, with emojis playing a cruel role in the harassment.
The show struck a nerve, given that many of us have seen how harmless-seeming icons like a skull or a flame can be twisted into tools of ridicule or threats.
In the real world, courts have also admitted emoji-laced messages as evidence. That laughing face might not be so innocent after all. Be wary.
Emojis have also found their way into work, schools, and even politics.
In 2016, a London-based company made global headlines for hiring the world’s first emoji translator, who could help brands and clients understand how emojis are interpreted in different cultures.
And it’s not just marketers using them. Diplomats, journalists, and even presidents have dropped emojis into tweets or statements. Why? To connect with the masses.
At Safaricom, we’ve seen customers use emojis in live chat support to express frustration through the use of the angry face or appreciation emoji.
In return, we have used them to explain products, add warmth to messages, and connect with Kenyans in ways that feel real in the digital world.
Examples of emojis Kenyans can’t get enough of include:
The cry-laugh emoji for those unfiltered moments of laughter, hands clasped together emoji to say ‘thank you’ or ‘please’, fire emoji for anything cool, stylish, or trending, KE emoji proudly flying our flag and the hundred points emoji for encouragement and energy.
In the future, maybe we will see local emojis that reflect Kenyan culture even more, such as grouped animals emoji for the Big Five, a steaming plate of ugali and sukuma emoji or even a matatu emoji (yes, we can dream, right?).
Emojis are more than decoration, they have become a bridge between languages, cultures, emotions, and even generations.
It is through them that we laugh louder, love harder, and sometimes, say what we can’t put into words.
On this Emoji Day, take a moment to think before you send that wink or heart. Use emojis to lift someone, not hurt them, because behind every one that you send, there is a real human feeling.
Happy World Emoji Day!
