What used to be the universal symbol of warmth and joy has taken a sinister turn — at least in the eyes of Gen Z. The classic smiley face emoji now means something completely different to those under ...

Of the six billion emoji that are sent globally every day, around 70% are emotion based – for example, smiley face, love hearts. A smaller proportion of the emoji sent are sad expressions.

Are your text message exchanges littered with smiley faces, aubergines, lightning bolts and clenched fists? Then you're well and clearly an emoji convert, using the full gamut of shapes ...