Emoji have become part of the way we communicate and for the very young there is one that is used by "old people": here is what it is
Emoji have become a standard in communication, especially online and through messaging apps; they are quick to use and can replace long conversations with a single, small image. Yet, there are some that should be banned if you don't want to risk passing for "old". And one, in particular, would have all the young people agree.
It is the emoji dedicated to the laughing face, with lots of tears. Using it would make even the coolest influencer pass for a "boomer", a term particularly used by Gen Z - that is, those born after 1996 - to indicate the "oldest", not only from an age point of view but also in terms of mentality. Yet, the smiley face in question is among the most used and, only in 2017, Apple had attested to its status as the most fashionable emoji in the United States. Yet, in just four years, the laughing face has fallen to the bottom of the preference list among younger people who, in short order, have replaced it with others deemed more interesting.
Emoji that laughs crying, what are the alternatives
A sudden change of course is necessary if you don't want to risk being labeled as technology elders. To keep up with the times, instead of the offending emoji you can use some valid substitute, such as the skull - for an implied "I'm dying of laughter" - or the face that cries rivers of tears with an open mouth, another metaphor for uncontrollable hilarity.
If you want to give a touch of internationality to your being in line with the trends of the moment, you can replace the emoji with the acronym lol, an evergreen of the network. With the phrase "lots of laugh", you not only express the concept but also avoid another bitter enemy of Gen Z: the other face that laughs with tears, or the one that is inclined and ready to roll on the floor (visual version of the second expression in use on the web for stifling laughter, "rotfl", or "rolling on the floor laughing").
Emoji laughing crying, the end of an era?
In a comment released to the news portal CNN Business, the Internet linguist and author of books dedicated to the language of the network Gretchen McCulloch explained the reason for the decline of the laughing emoji: "Tears of Joy (this is its real name) has been a victim of its own success. If you point to digital laughter for years and years in the same way, sooner or later it starts to seem insincere... Hyperbole wears thin with continued use."
So it was continued and excessive use that destroyed the smiley face's reputation, but apparently it was easily replaced in the hearts of Gen Z, at least until the next change of direction.