On most phones, there are little pictures you can send to family and friends to express your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. They range from animals to flags, and most people have received and sent them. The use of these emojis has changed the way we communicate. 

“I use emojis to make the sentence a little more fun,” said Allie S.

Emojis are released by the Unicode Consortium, which is a nonprofit organization that sets the standards for emoji compatibility. The Unicode Consortium accepts suggestions where anyone can ask for a certain emoji, but major corporations like Apple, Google and Microsoft’s suggestions include the majority of accepted submissions.

The emojis that make up the bulk of recent additions are gender-inclusive pictograms. They include a transgender flag, women wearing tuxedos, and men wearing wedding veils. They also include a gender-neutral person in both a tux and veil, as well as a gender-neutral Santa Claus.

“I think [the gender-inclusive emojis] are okay because we are evolving [in] a sense that it’s okay,” said Hailey A.

These emojis were proposed by Google. Google also initiated a bottle-feeding emoji for parents of both genders.

Less controversial emojis include a rock, which is a win for geologists. But, some geologists question the appearance of the rock, wondering what type of rock it is, or is it just a rock covered in moss, based on its grayish-greenish color.

A heart and lungs were also accepted, to the joy of doctors. Another addition is a fly, though entomologists question the appearance of the fruit fly, saying that it is “not cute enough” and looks too much like the common housefly.

“I think there should be more to explain more jobs,” said Layla M.

Adults and kids both use emojis as another way of communication. With new emojis, people can communicate more easily and intentionally. Some may choose to use them; others may not. Emojis continue to grow for people to use for nearly whatever people want.

“Without emojis I wouldn’t know exactly how to express my emotions,” Sophia A.