Study reveals emojis in text messages improves friendship satisfaction

Using emojis in text messages to your mates improves friendship satisfaction, a new study has found.

A study by the University of Texas published in PLOS One on Wednesday revealed friends who used emojis in their messages were “more responsive” than those who communicated with words alone.

The study instructed 260 participants to read 15 random text messages and focus on their hypothetical friend’s reply.

One of the responses read, “You got promoted” Congrats! We should celebrate tonight!” while the other had the exact same phrase followed by party emojis.

Participants rated friends who used emojis as “more responsive” and found the icons were positively associated with closeness and relationship satisfaction.

Surprisingly, there were no significant differences between face and non-face emojis, suggesting the mere presence of emojis drove “perceptions of greater partner responsiveness and better relationships”.

The study also theorised emojis not only served as an expressive device, but as a tool to signal emotional engagement.

Author Eun Huh said “emojis can boost relationship satisfaction by signalling emotional attentiveness.”

“Interestingly, it is not the type of emoji but simply their presence that makes people feel closer together,” he said.