It’s no surprise that millennials and Gen-Z communicate differently. With their own language and culture, these two groups seem worlds apart.
One thing they have in common is their love for emojis. But even that comes with their subtle differences in use.
Millennials are the first generation to grow up with texting. They were raised in a time when face-to-face communication was not the norm. So they turned to WhatsApp emoji to express themselves. Millennials use more than just emojis though, they also send strings of text messages that are riddled with abbreviations and emoji usage.
Conversely, Gen-Z grew up in an era where social media is king. They communicate through shorter messages like tweets or status updates because it’s the most efficient way for them to share their thoughts and feelings.
To break down the differences between the two generations, we asked a few teens from each generation about different emoji topics and got their opinions on which generation is better at using them. Here’s what we found!
What are the most popular emoji?
We asked both generations what their favorite emoji is and they had the same answer: thumbs up.
What are the most popular emoji?
The most popular emoji with millennials was the thumbs-up sign, while Gen-Z’s favorite was the laughing so hard you cry face.
What are some of the best emoji for certain scenarios?
One of the first questions we asked teens was about how they use emojis for different scenarios.
Millennials
For good morning, millennials say that the best emoji to use is a coffee cup with steam rising from it. They also like using two hands clapping for congratulations.
Gen-Z
Gen-Z likes to use a firecracker for good morning and a thumbs up or high five emoji for congratulations.
Winner: ????
A lot of people think that Gen-Z is better at using emojis than millennials, but it’s hard to say which generation is better at this one aspect. Even though Gen-Z may have more creative ideas with their emojis, millennials have some pretty cool ones as well!
Do Millennial and Gen-Z Teens use emojis differently?
Yes, there are some subtle differences in how the two generations use emojis.
Millennials and Gen-Zers have a lot in common, but they also have some small differences in how they use emojis. Our research found that millennials are more likely to use them when talking about their most favorite things, while Gen-Zers are more likely to use them for jokes or sarcasm.
For example, “I love you” is one of the most popular emoji phrases among millennials, with over 20 percent of replies including an emoji. Gen-Zers were more likely to include graphics like sunglasses or a gif making fun of something, instead of an emoji.
How millennials and Gen-Z use emojis differently
The first difference we noticed is the variety of emojis used.
Millennials are more likely to use emojis on whatsapp about food, love, and animals. Gen-Zers are more likely to use emojis about music, nature, and friends.
This could be because millennials are older and have more life experience. They also grew up with web 2.0 which included social media, texting, and other online interactions. So they’re used to communicating in a digital space and using emojis as a way to express themselves. Gen-Zers might not be as familiar with these digital expressions and rely on “real life” conversations for socializing.
What do these findings mean for marketers?
The way Gen-Z uses emojis might seem foreign to marketers, but it’s important to remember that they are still using these symbols to communicate. Marketers shouldn’t ignore this generation when considering their marketing strategy.
Millennials might be more open to marketing messages because they grew up in a world of social media marketing. But Gen-Z is growing up in the age of digital advertising. Marketing messages may not feel intrusive because they are used to seeing them constantly.
Marketers can utilize different methods for both groups by incorporating techniques that are unique for each group, like geofiltering posts or designing campaigns with influencers.
The difference in culture
When it comes to emojis, there is a difference in how they are interpreted by the two generations. For instance, Gen-Z uses emoji to reflect their mood. They might feel happy and use the emoji to laugh. Millennials would use emojis to represent what they’re doing at that moment.
“Millennials just use it how they want or what’s happening at that moment,” said 17-year-old Gabrielle M.
Gabrielle says she thinks people of her generation are more expressive than Gen-Zs.
“I think my generation is more expressive because we know how to react with our emotions better than Gen Zs do,” she said. “We show our feelings better.”
When it comes to using emojis for different purposes, there is a clear generational gap between millennials and Gen-Zs.
The Millennial Perspective
When we asked millennials about their favorite emojis, they all had different answers. There was a clear preference for the person emoji in both generations, but Gen-Z tended to like the hearts and love emojis more than millennials.
“Millennials are really into the thumbs-up emoji,” said Bella*, a 16-year-old Gen-Z. “They’re always saying ‘like’ or ‘cool,’ so it’s really popular with them.”
It was also interesting that Gen-Zers seemed to prefer emojis that related to feelings rather than objects. For example, they were more likely to use the heart eyes emoji than millennials, who used it at about the same rate as Gen-Zers did.
Conclusion.
That there are subtle differences in how these two generations use emojis means that marketers need to be aware of the nuances.
For example, if you’re marketing to millennials, consider how they use emojis in their day-to-day usage. If you’re marketing to Gen-Zs, it’s probably best to include more emoji usage in your content.
It’s not about getting into a generational debate. Instead, it’s about understanding the different needs of each group and catering accordingly.
One thing is clear: Millennials and Gen-Zs are both very expressive with emojis. And as marketers, it’s our job to make sure we understand them on their own terms!