Using Smile Emoji At Work May Send A Different Message Than You'd Want

People who smile might seem more attractive, trustworthy, warm and competent. Some studies even suggest when people meet, they remember a smile more than words.

But smiling emoji? Not so much. According to a new study, they don't convey the same emotions as real smiles, especially in the workplace.

Participants read work-related emails, and some of those messages had smiley emoji. The emails with those emoji were seen as having no real emotional resonance, and the sender was seen as incompetent.

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Participants were also more likely to guess that an emoji user in those emails was a woman. But those gender perceptions didn't shape how readers felt about senders' competency or emotional warmth.

So if you have the urge to send a smile to a co-worker, you might send a pic of someone smiling instead of an emoji. Researchers found those who sent photos were seen as more friendly and competent than emoji senders.