Zen of Jen

Be Careful Using Emojis at Work

Photo: clipart.com, WYXL 97.3 Lite Rock

Be Careful Using Emojis at Work

You might want to think twice before using emojis in a work setting.

Wayne State University researchers  found men and women often interpret common emojis quite differently, leading to misunderstandings.

They also found women tend to interpret neutral or ambiguous facial emojis much more negatively than men. Other examples of emojis the genders interpret differently include the smiling face with horns and eyebrows raised face. The data also showed that men were slightly more likely to use emojis at work than women.

Researcher Lara Jones says given the differences in communication preferences between groups, you should probably tune your emojis to the gender of your recipient (assuming it’s not someone you know super well) and avoid using emojis at all when there is a big power of culture gap between sender and recipient, at least until you get a better sense of the other person’s preferences and communication style.

Recent Headlines

1 day ago in Entertainment, Music

Ace Frehley, Kiss’ original lead guitarist and founding member, dies at 74

Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band Kiss, who captivated audiences with his elaborate galactic makeup and smoking guitar, died Thursday. He was 74.

2 days ago in Business, Community, Education, Lifestyle, Local, Regional

State officials cut ribbon at Broome-Tioga BOCES Trade Complex

Officials cut the ribbon last week at Broome-Tioga BOCES' brand-new Trade Complex.

2 days ago in Community, Crime, Lifestyle, Local

Tompkins County lawmakers accept GIVE grant, Flock Security contract

On October 7, Tompkins County lawmakers considered accepting a grant at the Legislature meeting that would help fund the continued use of Flock Security devices.

2 days ago in Community, Lifestyle, Local

Ovid Library accepting hygiene product donations through Saturday

A hygiene drive at the Edith B. Ford Memorial Library in Ovid runs through October 18.

2 days ago in Business, Entertainment, Finance, Government, Local, Politics

Hangar Theatre receives $250K in state funding for renovations

Sen. Lea Webb has secured $250,000 for renovations at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca.