Skip to content

Salamanders, spiders and flatworms – oh my! Scientists say natural emojis aren't diverse enough

Salamanders, spiders and flatworms – oh my! Scientists say natural emojis aren't diverse enough

Salamanders, spiders and flatworms – oh my! Scientists say natural emojis aren't diverse enough
Salamanders, spiders and flatworms – oh my! Scientists say natural emojis aren't diverse enough

Emojis symbolizing a wide array of creatures, like salamanders, spiders, and flatworms, aren't as frequent or diverse in popular digital communication platforms compared to those representing more common species.

An expert in water moulds voiced their concerns in a gathering, emphasizing a shared discontent amidst an ecology conference. This issue is highlighted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in its bi-annual report, suggesting emojis play a crucial role in fostering interest and awareness about biodiversity in the digital world.

While common emojis like cats, dogs, birds, and monkeys reign supreme as they are frequently used to express affection or represent pets in mainstream digital communication, emojis symbolizing lesser-known organisms, such as salamanders and spiders, are not as commonly used. Specialized communities or forums might see more prevalence in certain emojis representing specific organisms, but these are not usually part of the widely used standard emoji set in general digital communication.

Emojis featuring cultural significance, like the 🐶 dog or the 🐱 cat, are more likely to be included in the standard emoji set due to their extensive recognition and use in digital communication.

The diversity of emojis varies depending on the platform, as some like Twitter or Facebook might offer a broader selection, and others such as WhatsApp or SMS might have a more restricted set.

The prevalence of emojis representing common species like cats and dogs is noted, whereas those representing not-so-common organisms remain less diverse in popular digital communication platforms.

Latest