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A Beginner's Guide to Emoji

😀 😅 😂 😌 😍

Seniors, have you ever seen one of these small yellow symbols on your phone or computer? It is an emoji, which people can send via messaging mediums to express emotions or provide a visual representation of their words.

There is an emoji for everything: faces depicting smiles to frowns and every feeling in between, nature, animals, food, sports, and more. You can even send a string of emoji to a loved one to communicate solely without words. You might send your family 😄🕶☀️🌊🍍✈️ to say your beach vacation to Hawaii was sunny and warm.

Because of the multitude of emoji available, it can be daunting to know where to start. Luckily, this guide can provide both situational context and meaning behind five popular emoji options associated with happy feelings. Read through the explanations to gain a better understanding of how and when to send a happy emoji to someone.

In order to access emoji, you have to add the emoji keyboard to your device. You can accomplish this via the “add keyboard” option in your general settings. It might be a good idea to ask your grandchild to help you with this and to explain their favorite emoji and what they mean.

Then decide what you want to say using emoji and compose your message, adding the symbols within or after your sentences. Show off your new skills to your child or grandchild, and see how impressed they are that you have adopted emoji. But be careful - there is such a thing as excessive use of emoji!