I’m an unabashed Millennial, and you can pry emojis from my cold, dead hands.

Emojis are more than simple decorations but are essential tools for conveying emotion and nuance in text. A person’s preferences for using specific emojis reveal insights into personal style, cultural influences, and demographic trends.

Understanding emoji usage offers a glimpse into our digital identities, shaping how we communicate, and how we are perceived.

Here are my most-used emojis and the reasons why I use them to express my digital individualism.

First row

1. Purple heart: I decided a few years ago that the red heart didn’t suit me, so I upgraded to purple, to reflect my favorite color.
2. Laughing while crying: There are some jokes that you want to stick the landing, and this emoji helps convey that.
3. Heart eyes: I usually use this when I talk about my dog, Luna. I feel like a cartoon character with their heart eyes bugging out of their head when I discuss her!
4. Salute: I’m definitely someone who gets marginally offended when someone responds “K.” Say something more substantial, and then plop that saluting emoji at the end. Feels more proper.

Second row

1. Watermelon: Free Palestine. Full stop.
2. Crown: I love calling people “kings” and “queens.” So I drop the crown emoji at the end for extra emphasis.
3. Sunshine: I live in Vegas; we get a lot of sunshine!
4. Sunglasses: I always use this one to emphasize coolness. It helps that the smile on the emoji is kind of a smirk.

Third row

1. Party hat: I love a good party hat and noisemaker, I usually use it in celebration of something.
2. Thumbs up: Never to be used without accompanying text! Don’t just send me a thumbs up; I’m judging you hard when you do.
3. Praying: I think I prefer this emoji over the crossing fingers one when I want good vibes.
4. Paw prints: Yet another emoji for Luna.

Fourth row

1. Crying: I thought this one would be higher because I feel like I use it a lot.
2. Nail polish: I love using this one to make a point.
3. Money bag: I use this mostly for sending payments.
4. Fork and knife: If you don’t know me by now, food is a part of my identity, so I use this a lot for when we go out to eat or try a new cuisine or something.