Study: People who use emojis feel closer to each other

If you ever find yourself second-guessing the urge to add emojis to a text message, consider this: There may be a social significance to that impulse.

A new study from the University of Texas shows that using emojis in text messages makes people feel closer to each other and more at ease in their personal relationships. The study was first reported by The Guardian.

The researchers interviewed 260 people between the ages of 23 and 67, who were read 15 different messages — some with emojis, some without. Participants were asked to imagine themselves as the sender and to focus on the recipient’s response. These were then evaluated for responsiveness, sympathy, closeness, and relationship satisfaction.

The results showed that messages containing emojis were perceived as more responsive than text-only messages. It also showed that emojis act as non-verbal signals that indicate attention and emotional engagement.