Latest news with #ForWorkingParents
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gen Z co-opted the smiley face emoji, but beware — it means something totally different to them
Smiling at Gen Z? Better watch your back. 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 30. Instead of conveying happiness, the grinning yellow face is now seen as dismissive, passive-aggressive, or straight-up sarcastic. And if you're sending it to younger colleagues or friends, it could be rubbing them the wrong way. Hafeezat Bishi, a 21-year-old intern, recently told the Wall Street Journal that she was taken aback when her older co-workers used the smiley emoji in emails and texts. 'I had to remember they are older, because I use it sarcastically,' Bishi said, explaining that she often views the emoji as conveying a 'side-eye smile' rather than genuine enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Sara Anderson, a 31-year-old cheerleading coach, told the outlet that she regularly includes the emoji to add 'lightness' to her messages. But that's exactly the disconnect — what seems friendly to older folks can come off as phony or even biting to the younger crowd. According to Erica Dhawan, author of 'Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance,' older generations tend to take emojis at face value, while younger 'digital natives' assign entirely different meanings. 'People over 30 tend to use emoji according to their dictionary,' Dhawan told the Journal, emphasizing that for Gen Z, emoji meanings have evolved into a whole new lexicon. But the generational gap isn't just about smileys. Back in March, Amit Kalley, founder of mom-and-dad support site For Working Parents, warned that emojis have become a covert language for teens to communicate everything from drug slang to hate speech. 'It's far from an exhaustive list, but it's based on common emojis used to say something very different to what you'd think,' Kalley wrote on Instagram, pointing to a 'periodic table of emojis' that decodes the hidden messages. And the emoji evolution doesn't end there. A recent study from Oklahoma State University found that emoji use can reveal a lot more about your personality than you might think. Researchers surveyed 285 undergraduates, mostly 20-year-olds, to see how their emoji habits aligned with personality traits. 'Emoji use may be related to strategies to manipulate the perceptions of others and to present a positive impression of oneself,' the study said, suggesting that what you send could say more about you than you realize. So, the next time you slap a smiley face emoji on a message to Gen Z, think twice — it might not come off as cheery as you'd hoped.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The secret emoji code highlighted by Adolescence that parents must know about
Parents are being urged to familiarise themselves with the secret emoji language teens are using after Netflix drama, Adolescence, highlighted some of the sinister meanings behind the symbols. The limited series centres around 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is accused of the murder of a female classmate, Katie. The widely-discussed programme features an enlightening scene where a teenager explains to his police officer father the hidden meaning behind certain emojis. In episode two, DI Luke Bascombe, played by Ashley Walters learns that he has been completely misinterpreting a series of emojis left by the victim Katie, on Jamie's Instagram profile, which he assumed to be flirtatious. It's only when his teenage son, Adam (Amari Bacchus), breaks down the use of the emojis that he comes to realise that there's a darker meaning behind the symbols. The detective is left shocked as he discovers how a red pill, derived from the movie The Matrix, "is like I see the truth" and a "call to action by the manosphere", a term for the dark online world promoting toxic masculinity and misogyny. Adam goes on to say the red pill and kidney bean represent an incel, the term used to describe males who are involuntarily celibate, and the 100 emoji relates to the "80 to 20 rule", a theory that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. With the show sparking a national conversation about the online harms hiding in plain sight, former deputy head teacher, Amit Kalley, has created a Periodic Table of Sinister Emojis. Kalley, who is now the founder of For Working Parents, which helps carers navigate the ups and downs of parenthood, told Yahoo UK that many parents "feel out of their depth" when it comes to understanding the alternative meanings behind the secret emojis children are using on a daily basis. "When watching Adolescence, what I already knew was confirmed: so many parents feel out of their depth when it comes to the online world and understanding the digital language," he explains. "The programme highlighted the important issue of how emojis might be used to have alternative and sinister meanings." In his work as a former deputy head, Kalley says he understood emojis were being used for topics both inside and outside the incel movement, so decided to create a graphic that highlights this easily for parents. "I had no idea it would go viral and I have been inundated with over 500 requests for the graphic from teachers, HR leads and parents from all over the world," he tells Yahoo UK. "It just shows how huge this topic is, how lost many parents feel and why raising awareness about the digital language is so important." While parents may have dismissed the use of emojis as harmless fun, Adolescence has hinted that they can be masking and even normalising it some dangerous hidden ideals. "From the parents I've spoken to, so many just had no idea that emojis, which many of them use in their own communication, could have such sinister meanings," Kalley explains. "Upon realising they have alternative meanings, it has sent lots of parents into panic mode, but it's important to remember that context matters. If parents see emojis and don't understand the context, that is the time to have a conversation." Kalley says the show highlights the need for parents to be more educated on the online world. "I want to see more parents being proactive, no matter how difficult, in understanding the dangers that exist online for their children," he explains. "It's about considering when their children are ready for devices and ensuring that measures are in place for them to stay safe." For parents, his advice is simple: keep learning, keep reading, keep researching, and keep talking to your children about the online world. "When these conversations are normalised, children know that they are being monitored and children also know that their parents are their safe space when they're in trouble," he adds. Don't wait until there's a crisis or issue. "Normalise regular conversations," suggests Kalley. Kalley suggests asking open-ended questions. "Avoid lecturing or judgemental tones," he adds. Reassure them they won't be in trouble. "Let them know you're here to listen and help," Kalley explains. Often parents are concerned about admitting if they are unsure about a certain topic, but Kalley says it is okay to admit 'I don't know' or 'This is difficult for me too'. Use media, books, and current events to shape your conversations. "For example, 'That storyline on TV made me think – what would you do in that situation?'," Kalley suggests. Instead of asking about what they have done, Kalley recommends asking indirect questions. For example: 'What do your friends think about...?', 'What have you heard about...?', 'Have you ever felt like...?' "Be ready to follow up with listening, not correcting," he adds. Read more about Adolescence and toxic masculinity: What does the manosphere mean? The toxic 'incel' culture shown in Netflix's Adolescence (Yahoo News, 7-min read) Adolescence writer: We are not the right people to tell victim Katie's story (PA, 2-min read) Eight campaigns making a difference as Sir Gareth Southgate warns of 'toxic' influencers (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Telegraph
28-03-2025
- Telegraph
The ‘sinister emojis' used by incel teenagers
Parents are being warned by police and schools about a 'sinister emoji' code used by incel teenagers in the wake of Netflix hit Adolescence. Forces and teachers across Britain have issued parents with a 'periodic table of sinister emojis' said to be used by under-18s to surreptitiously discuss violence, sex and extremism. The plot of Adolescence involves the use of emojis by children to spread hidden messages about toxic masculinity and misogyny. But critics have said the guide reflects a 'moral panic' that has gripped the country following the airing of the television programme. The emoji code, produced by education charity For Working Parents, outlines 60 symbols used to talk about drugs, violence, sex, self-harm, extremism and incels, meaning involuntary celibates. These include a hedgehog, which denotes neo-Nazi, a pill, meaning incel, and the OK hand gesture, said to refer to the far-Right. Other symbols are a dragon for heroin, a ghost for 'anti-woman' and the Devil for lust. For Working Parents, which aims to create 'inclusive communities', said schools in the South West, London, the Midlands and the North of England were telling parents about the so-called 'emoji code'. 'Sharing this brilliant resource' Merseyside Police shared the table with schools and parents across the region earlier this week, according to the Liverpool Echo. South Wirral High School in Eastham, Cheshire, said 'emojis aren't always as innocent as they seem ' as it publicised the code. It said: 'We're sharing this brilliant resource from For Working Parents – a periodic table of sinister emojis, showing how some emojis are used to hide worrying messages.' Hailsham Community College, in East Sussex, told parents that Adolescence featured 'dark emojis' that 'every parent should know'. It said: 'The programme had shone a light on how emojis can, in some instances, be used as a coded language with a more sinister meaning.' Cllr Simon Minas-Bound, of Basingstoke and Deane borough council, said the table helps parents 'understand what your child might really be saying. 'Keeping up with your kid's online conversations can feel like decoding a secret language,' he said. Founder Amit Kalley said that parents 'have to be curious' about the emojis their children use, even if they seldom have sinister meanings when used by most people. He said: 'The table I created is far from an exhaustive list, but I wanted to include emojis beyond incel and misogyny, because lots of young people are groomed online into drugs and violence and lots of young people are involved in dangerous sexual behaviours, which they can hide from parents by using emojis and acronyms. 'Emojis and acronyms change, so parents have to keep researching and keep asking the right questions. We need to normalise conversations about the online world with our children.' 'Anti-male propaganda' Mike Buchanan, founder of Justice for Men & Boys, said crimes by boys and young men were not being caused by emojis. 'This is a moral panic,' he said. ' There is a boy crisis but of course – due to gynocentrism – the mainstream media's focus is on the impact on girls. Adolescence is a scandalous anti-male propaganda piece.' Adolescence became the first streaming show to top the UK's weekly TV ratings last week with 6.45 million people in Britain watching it, according to Barb. It has been praised by Sir Keir Starmer and writer Jack Thorne has said he wants it shown in schools across the country. The Prime Minister said on Monday: 'There's a reason why the debate has suddenly sparked into life. A lot of people who work with young people at school or elsewhere recognise that we may have a problem with boys and young men that we need to address.' The emoji guide is not the first to be drawn up. In December 2022, Surrey Police said a 'secret world of emojis' was being used by teenagers to refer to drugs and sex. Earlier tin March, Nottinghamshire Police issued a list of 52 codewords, hashtags and acronyms that children allegedly use to talk about sex, drugs and mental health conditions.
