I Asked Three Different Generations What These 14 Emojis Mean And Got Wildly Different Responses

Different generations have verrry different outlooks on life. We view work, the internet, technology, media, and fashion differently — hell, we can’t even agree on a type of jean that’s cool.

Sooo, of course, when it comes to emoji use, it’s safe to say Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and boomers are kind of all over the place.

A recent poll revealed certain emojis that Gen Z would NEVER use, but I wanted to know more about their emoji use in the first place, and how it compares to older generations’. So, I decided to ask three different generations how they use certain emojis.

I talked to two members of Gen Z:

Jo (they/them): a 14-year-old high school freshman

Michael (he/him): a 13-year-old 8th grader

Two millennials:

Emily (she/her): a 35-year-old writer and professor

Sam (she/they): a 29-year-old writer and artist

And two people in their 50s:

Ant (he/him): a 57-year-old medical professional (Gen X’er)

Mike (he/him): a late-50s medical professional (baby boomer)

Before I asked about specific emojis, I asked for their thoughts on generational emoji use.

Hmm