Research Article

Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students

Volume: 15 Number: 2 April 28, 2026
EN TR

Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students

Abstract

Communication has been the most basic need of human beings since their existence. People have chosen different ways to communicate and have developed their own communication methods. In history, people have communicated by making indistinct sounds, making hand-arm gestures, and drawing pictures on cave walls. It is thought that the pictures and figures drawn on cave walls in history are the ancestors of today's emoji use. The rapid development of mass communication technologies has also allowed the emergence of virtual indicators called emoji. The main purpose of this research is to examine the emoji usage habits of university students in terms of the students' socio-demographic characteristics.study group consists of 405 university students. The data of the study were collected by face-to-face survey method using the "Emoji Usage Habits" scale prepared by Bilge R. (2020). Statistical analyzes of the data were made using the SPSS 26.0 program. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied to examine the normality distribution of numerical variables and normal distribution was obtained. Parametric tests were used in the data set. Frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values were used in the analysis of descriptive statistics. University students' emoji usage habits play a very effective role in communication. The use of emojis is increasing among young people, middle-aged people and even elderly individuals. It is seen that emojis, which are gradually replacing emotions and expressions, are on their way to becoming an effective communication tool in the future.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

“Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students” başlıklı çalışmanın yazım sürecinde bilimsel kurallara, etik ve alıntı kurallarına uyulmuş; toplanan veriler üzerinde herhangi bir tahrifat yapılmamış ve bu çalışma herhangi başka bir akademik yayın ortamına değerlendirme için gönderilmemiştir. The necessary ethics committee permissions were obtained with the decision of Dicle University Social and Human Sciences Ethics Committee dated 03.08.2024 and numbered E-E-14679147-663.05-424134. Statement of Contribution Rate of Researchers: The contribution rates of the authors in the study are equal. Declaration of Conflict: There is no potential conflict of interest in the study. Funding: No funding was received from any institution or organization for this study. Statement of Use for Artificial Intelligence and Its Types: Artificial intelligence and its various types were not used in the writing of this article. Data Sharing Statement: We declare that, upon reasonable request for the purpose of verifying the findings, we can share the data of this study according to the conditions specified in the relevant section of the "ethical principles and publication policy".

References

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  3. Barthes, R. (1977). Image, music, text (S. Heath, Trans.). Hill and Wang.
  4. Bilge, R. (2020). Emoji usage in communication and effectiveness evaluations: Istanbul University example [Unpublished master's thesis]. Marmara University.
  5. Castle, T. (1995). The female thermometer: Eighteenth-century culture and the invention of the uncanny. Oxford University Press.
  6. Clery, E. J. (2002). The rise of supernatural fiction, 1762–1800. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511484328
  7. Cook, P. (2004). The cinema book. British Film Institute.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Media Studies, Social Media Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 28, 2026

Submission Date

June 5, 2025

Acceptance Date

February 17, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 15 Number: 2

APA
Çiftçi, H., & Yolcu, P. (2026). Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students. MANAS Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 15(2), 574-585. https://doi.org/10.33206/mjss.1714700
AMA
1.Çiftçi H, Yolcu P. Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students. MJSS. 2026;15(2):574-585. doi:10.33206/mjss.1714700
Chicago
Çiftçi, Hasan, and Pelin Yolcu. 2026. “Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students”. MANAS Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi 15 (2): 574-85. https://doi.org/10.33206/mjss.1714700.
EndNote
Çiftçi H, Yolcu P (April 1, 2026) Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students. MANAS Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi 15 2 574–585.
IEEE
[1]H. Çiftçi and P. Yolcu, “Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students”, MJSS, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 574–585, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.33206/mjss.1714700.
ISNAD
Çiftçi, Hasan - Yolcu, Pelin. “Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students”. MANAS Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi 15/2 (April 1, 2026): 574-585. https://doi.org/10.33206/mjss.1714700.
JAMA
1.Çiftçi H, Yolcu P. Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students. MJSS. 2026;15:574–585.
MLA
Çiftçi, Hasan, and Pelin Yolcu. “Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students”. MANAS Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, vol. 15, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 574-85, doi:10.33206/mjss.1714700.
Vancouver
1.Hasan Çiftçi, Pelin Yolcu. Comparing Emoji Usage Habits: A Study on University Students. MJSS. 2026 Apr. 1;15(2):574-85. doi:10.33206/mjss.1714700

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