Studying Cultural Differences in Emoji Usage across the East and the West

TL;DR

This study analyzes cross-cultural differences in Emoji usage across Eastern and Western countries using social media data, revealing both normative patterns and culture-specific nuances in how Emojis convey emotions and concepts.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of Emoji use across cultures, linking linguistic and emotional expression differences to cultural contexts using social media data.

Findings

Identifies distinct Emoji usage patterns in East and West

Maps Emoji categories to cultural emotional expression differences

Shows correspondence between psycho-linguistic categories and Ekman's emotions

Abstract

Global acceptance of Emojis suggests a cross-cultural, normative use of Emojis. Meanwhile, nuances in Emoji use across cultures may also exist due to linguistic differences in expressing emotions and diversity in conceptualizing topics. Indeed, literature in cross-cultural psychology has found both normative and culture-specific ways in which emotions are expressed. In this paper, using social media, we compare the Emoji usage based on frequency, context, and topic associations across countries in the East (China and Japan) and the West (United States, United Kingdom, and Canada). Across the East and the West, our study examines a) similarities and differences on the usage of different categories of Emojis such as People, Food \& Drink, Travel \& Places etc., b) potential mapping of Emoji use differences with previously identified cultural differences in users' expression about diverse concepts such as death, money emotions and family, and c) relative correspondence of validated psycho-linguistic categories with Ekman's emotions. The analysis of Emoji use in the East and the West reveals recognizable normative and culture specific patterns. This research reveals the ways in which Emojis can be used for cross-cultural communication.