World Emoji Day

Pop the  and celebrate with the , it’s World Emoji Day!

Yes, there is an actual day for emoji and that day for 2019 is July 17. This year, that means that Apple is unveiling some of the new emoji that will be available as of the fall. Everyone has their favorite emoji (and yes, the plural of emoji is emoji) and their usage has become part of the lexicon. Some emoji stand for other things (eggplants and peaches come to mind), some emoji have meanings that are able to convey many things with a simple icon (think, eye-rolls and heart eyes). But this year’s new additions demonstrate a stronger commitment from Apple toward diversity and disability themes.

For example, walking canes, wheelchairs, and hearing aid icons are some of the latest additions. There are also versions and variants of gender and skin color for those emoji, further illustrating a stronger commitment to celebrating diversity. There are also prosthetic arms and legs that will be available. Apple’s statement on the new emoji stated that “Celebrating diversity in all its many forms is integral to Apple’s values and these new options help fill a significant gap in the emoji keyboard.”

In addition, Apple is also updating its hand-holding emoji. Typically used to represent couples and relationships, you now can select combinations of skin tones and gender to personalize those people holding hands. Featuring both same-sex and opposite-sex pairs, the hand-holding allows a variety of permutations of skin color, hair color, and facial hair. I take issue with the fact that the options for facial hair only include a ’70’s era mustache (hipster beards need not apply), but progress is progress, right? The mustaches may be optional, but the ugly emoji outfits are all pretty basic. I can’t wait to be able to accessorize my emoji like a character from a video game, but maybe that will be unveiled in 2020. For now, let’s just be proud Apple is championing progress by realizing we don’t all look like a Simpson’s character. In all, the hand-holding couples amount to more than 75 different permutations.

Of course, they’re also rolling out new animals including a sloth, an orangutan, a skunk, a flamingo. For new foods, they finally added Paula Deen’s favorite food, butter, in addition to falafel, garlic, and waffles. New clothes include a one-piece swimsuit, a sari, construction vest, and more.

At the end of the day, though, I think we can all agree that the emoji we’ll be using the most is the new yawning face. Which emoji are you most excited about?

Emoji etiquette can be tough on social media. When you need help with your social media, contact Smarter Searches. We’d love to help!