Let’s face it emojis have taken over the way we text, chat, and post online. Whether it’s a heart, a laughing face, or the classic thumbs-up, emojis help us express emotions quickly. But have you ever wondered why some people use emojis in every message while others hardly ever touch them?
A new study has uncovered something surprising: your emoji habits might be closely tied to your personality and even your level of narcissism.
Do Emojis Reveal More Than Just Emotions?
A recent study from Oklahoma State University, shared in Current Psychology. They looked at how men and women use emojis and how that connects to personality traits like extraversion, neuroticism, and more controversially narcissism.
The team surveyed 285 college students about how often they use 40 of the most common emojis. Participants were asked how often they add emojis to texts, social media posts, and replies. Then, the participants took detailed personality tests.
Women Use More Emojis But That’s Not the Whole Story
One of the clear takeaways? The research also showed that women use emojis more than men, whether they’re expressing good or bad emotions. Whether it’s cheerful smiley faces or frustrated red faces, women tend to rely on emojis more often to express their feelings digitally.
But what really stood out was the deeper personality link.
Emoji Use and Personality: The Surprising Patterns
Here’s where it gets interesting. People who scored high in narcissism a personality trait tied to self-centeredness and a desire for admiration were much more likely to use emojis frequently. While this pattern was seen in both men and women, it stood out more in women.
The study also found that:
- Highly extraverted people (outgoing and social types) used more emojis across the board.
- Men high in Machiavellianism (a manipulative personality trait) used more emojis possibly as a way to charm or influence others.
- Neurotic men (those who often feel anxious or emotionally unstable) tended to use more negative emojis, like angry or sad faces.
- Sensation-seekers and open-minded women were also more emoji-friendly.
What This Really Means
The biggest finding? People who show more narcissistic traits tend to use emojis more often this was especially true for women. Researchers believe emojis may be used by narcissists as a tool for self-promotion and to manage their image essentially using digital communication to grab attention and control how they’re perceived.
So, What Does Your Emoji Game Say About You?
Before you go deleting all your emojis or second-guessing your texts, don’t worry using emojis doesn’t mean you’re a narcissist. But this study shows that our online habits can reflect deeper parts of our personality.
As emoji culture continues to grow, so does the need to understand how digital expressions connect to who we are offline.