Ke Ning, Lin Zhu

Lin Zhu

May 05, 2026

WeChat emojis, Emoji packs, Sentiment analysis, Generational differences.

In WeChat communication, there are intergenerational differences in the use of emojis among people of different age groups. This study adopts a questionnaire survey method, designs a questionnaire based on the WHO age classification criteria, and distributes and collects 73 valid questionnaires through the Wenjuanxing platform (effective response rate of 100%). The research results show that there are significant differences in emoji usage among different age groups. Young people (aged 18-44, mainly 18-35) have the highest usage frequency and the most diverse types; middle-aged people (44-59) have a lower usage frequency and a more limited range of types; and elderly people (aged 59 and above) have the lowest usage frequency. The commonality among these three groups is that they all use cartoon-image emojis, and they tend to send 1-2 emojis at a time. The core purpose of using emojis across all groups is to express emotions and liven up the chat atmosphere, but there are differences in their intrinsic motivations. Through analysis, this study concludes that the intergenerational motivations are as follows: young people focus on fitting social trends, conveying emotions, and achieving interactive fun; middle-aged and elderly groups tend to simplify communication expression, ease the communication atmosphere, or use emojis to bridge the gap with others, making interactions more intimate. 

© 2026, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license