An alternative to language: How well do people know their emojis?

67% of global respondents feel closer talking to someone who understands the emoji they're using

It all started in the early 1980s, when computer scientist Scott Fahlman suggested that certain text-based symbols — such as :) and :( — could be used as an alternative to language. These “language” symbols came to be called emoticons (emotion icons), and were the precursor to what a smartphone-wielding world now indiscriminately uses: emojis. Such has been their popularity that they now have a day named after them: World Emoji Day — July 17.

But do people really understand which emoji conveys what. Messaging app Slack teamed up with Duolingo to survey 9,400 hybrid workers in North America, Asia