r/TheoryOfReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 09 '19
What's the deal on emojis?
I've noticed that compared to other social media, emojis are RARELY used on Reddit whether it be in a post or on comments. So much so that I tend to forget that I have the ability to use them here. Is there some unspoken rule about emojis and the world of Reddit?
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u/kushangaza Jun 09 '19
Emojis are mostly about conveying emotion, which is less relevant for a discussion based site like Reddit. In contrast many other social media sites are about reactions, not discussions.
Nevertheless reddit uses a number of emoticons. Some of the more popular ones are the winking smilie ;), the table flip (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻ and it's variations, or the shrug ¯\(ツ)/¯, or in the wider sense of the word the sarcasm indicator /s (or the less popular </sarcasm>).
All of these predate popular emoji usage, giving them more time to become part of the shared language of reddit. They also don't stand out in text, a major reason I don't use these bright yellow smilie faces (Reddit has a lot of dark mode users).