The Etymological Roots of Emoji Miscommunication: A Comparative Study of 69 Eastern and Western Emoji Usage
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The research investigates the worldwide spread of emojis and evaluates how cultural misinterpretations affect intercultural relationships. The research uses Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory as well as Hall’s High/Low Context Communication Paradigm and Saussure’s Semiotics to analyze cultural differences in emoji usage according to survey data from 20 multicultural participants. Members of cultures that lean towards collectivism in East Asia both use emojis to preserve social unity and silence negative feelings, whereas Americans and British tend to use them for laughter and purposeful communication, self-expression, and liberty. The identified obstacles in emoji communication involve cultural differences and unclear design choices, and contextual mismatching that result in understanding failures. In Western culture, thumbs-up receives positive connotations, whereas Middle Eastern populations view it as offensive. Research supports the development of emojis with multicultural perspectives, along with better clarity and improved digital communication skills to overcome cross-cultural misunderstandings. This research tackles the issues to improve global digital communication while demonstrating cultural understanding as the key factor for reducing emoji misinterpretations.
Institution: Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7119535355
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