A smile says it all: Intergenerational differences in the interpretation of smiley emoji in response to sarcasm

This study investigated intergenerational differences in the interpretation of smiley emoji in response to literal and sarcastic statements. Younger (aged 18–30) and older (over 60) adults evaluated each emoji in terms of perceived attitude, friendliness, politeness, and appropriateness across contexts. Significant intergenerational differences emerged for smiley emoji with complex cues, but not for simple ones. Specifically, older adults tended to favor literal interpretations, viewing the smile emoji as genuine and more pleasant and the trick as fake and less pleasant. In contrast, younger adults, more attuned to innovative and conventionalized uses shaped by youth subcultures, displayed the opposite pattern. These findings suggest that older adults' positivity effect in emoji recognition may depend on emoji complexity. Context also influenced emoji interpretation. Across both groups, positive or superficially positive emoji were often judged as appropriate responses to sarcastic statements, serving to downplay negative emotions and manage face in line with emotional display rules in digital communication. Overall, this study highlights that youth subcultures shape the pragmatic functions and interpretations of smiley emoji, with intergenerational variation further moderated by emoji complexity and contextual factors.