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Post Category - Family LifeFamily Life
Post Category - ParentingParenting - Post Category - Tweens & TeensTweens & TeensBe it on WhatsApp or Instagram, emojis should be just emojis, right…? Wrong! They have multiple hidden messages that parents should know about to ensure the safety of our children online.
Once upon a time, a smiley emoji meant just that — a genuine expression of happiness. And an eggplant emoji meant… a simple vegetable. However, fast forward to today, some of these simple and unassuming emojis actually have hidden meanings when used by our children on a daily basis. In fact, they’ve even become a whole new language altogether.
While most emojis are harmless, some can conceal a sinister meaning. In fact, being aware of these double meanings can be the crucial difference in knowing whether your child is being harassed or bullied; or to recognise when your child is being targeted by online predators. With early intervention, children can get the help they need.
Feeling overwhelmed? Mamas, we’ve got you: here’s a list of 40+ emojis and their coded meanings to get you up to speed.
Read More: 30+ Urban Slang Words Every Mama Should Know
Yellow, Purple Or Something Else? The Secret Meanings Behind Every Heart Colour
We’ve all sent a heart emoji without giving it a second thought — but according to internet culture, every colour tells a different story. From desire to friendship, attraction to romance, here’s what the heart emoji is really saying.
| Emoji | Meaning | |
| ❤️ | The red heart emoji is commonly used to express love. | |
| 💜 | The purple heart emoji indicates attraction or sexual desire. | |
| 💛 | The yellow heart is a simple way of asking, “I’m interested, are you?” | |
| 🩷 | The pink heart emoji is used to respond with romantic interest (without sex). | |
| 🧡 | The orange heart emoji indicates platonic feelings. |
Read More: A Psychiatrist’s Guide to Speaking With Children About Sexuality and Gender Identity
From Goat To Snake, Symbols With Secret Emotional Or Social Meaning
In the world of texting and social media, emojis have quietly become a coded language for human behaviour. Whether someone’s being a snake, hyping up a GOAT or clowning on themselves, these little symbols carry big social meaning.
| Emoji | Meaning | |
| 🔥 | The fire emoji means something is ‘lit’, a.k.a, it’s a compliment. It can also be used to mean something is cool or trendy. | |
| 🐐 | This is a great one to send and receive! It represents ‘GOAT’, which is an acronym for ‘greatest of all time’. | |
| 🐍 | The snake emoji is used to describe someone who ratted out a friend, bailed at the last minute or was dishonest. You don’t want to receive this one! | |
| 😭 | The crying emoji represents something far from sadness; it means tears of joy | |
| 👁️👄👁️ | An expression of disbelief or shock, often in reaction to some unexpected or surprising news. | |
| 👍 | This might confound the older folks a little. While in the past, the thumbs up emoji was used to signal a job well done; nowadays, it’s used to express sarcasm. | |
| 🙃 | The upside-down smile emoji may look cute, but it shows frustration at how something is panning out, and even irony. | |
| 🤡 | The clown emoji can be used as a way of saying “joke’s on you”, or to highlight one’s mistakes. It can also be used to mock someone else. | |
| 💀 | The skull emoji isn’t used to indicate literal death, but a figurative one — usually from laughter. | |
| 🥶 | It refers to someone else’s harsh or savage actions or words. It can also be used to describe someone giving the cold shoulder. | |
| 😅 | The sweating emoji is used to signify someone having a hard time, but they’re managing to cope. | |
| 🌧️ | The raining emoji is used to portray sadness or a bad mood. | |
| ✂️/ 🔪 | The scissors or knife emojis commonly refer to the act of self-harm. |
Read More: Mental Health in Hong Kong — Let’s Talk About It
Emojis Related To Sex That Parents Should Watch Out For
Many everyday emojis have been quietly repurposed with sexual meanings, forming a coded language that’s widely understood among younger generations but might fly completely under a parent’s radar. Here’s some popular emojis with sexual connotations that you should know of.
| Emoji | Meaning | |
| 🔨 /🪛 | The hammer or screwdriver emojis are used to represent sex. | |
| 👅 | Represents the desire for, or the act of, oral sex. | |
| 🌋/ 💦 | The erupting volcano or three water droplets emojis refer to an orgasm. | |
| 🍌 | The banana emoji is used in anticipation of sex. | |
| 🎪 | The circus tent emoji is used to resemble an erection. | |
| 🍒 | The cherry emoji refers to breasts. | |
| 🍆/ 🌭 | The eggplant and hotdog emojis symbolise the male genitalia. | |
| 😺/ 🌮 | The grinning cat and taco emojis represent female genitalia. | |
| 🍑 | The peach emoji is used to refer to a woman’s buttocks. | |
| 🌽 | The corn emoji is chosen simply due to the fact that it rhymes with ‘porn’. | |
| 🍜 | Far from expressing a noodle craving, the noodles emoji is used to reference nudes (“noods” in colloquial slang). |
Read More: Forget The Birds And The Bees — I Need to Prepare My Kids For The World of Sex
Emojis That Could Signal Your Child Is Being Bullied
Some of the most innocent-looking symbols have been weaponised as tools for bullying, harassment and intimidation — and they’re far harder for parents to spot than outright hurtful words. Here’s what to look out for.
| Emoji | Meaning | |
| 🐀 | The rat emoji is used to call someone a snitch, or to threaten them for being a snitch. | |
| 🐸 | As innocent as it looks, the frog emoji is sadly a form of harassment; and is a way of calling someone ugly. | |
| 😶 | The ‘no mouth’ emoji contains the hidden threat to not tell anyone about what happened. |
Read More: Bullying In Hong Kong — Tips to Prevent Your Kids From Becoming Victims
Hidden Drug-Related Meanings Behind Popular Emojis
In certain online circles, emojis are being used as a coded language to reference drugs. If your child is using or receiving these symbols, it’s important to understand what they could really mean.
| Emoji | Meaning | |
| 🍃 | The leaf emoji is used for marijuana. | |
| 🐴 | The horse emoji is used for ketamine. | |
| 💎 | The gemstone emoji is used for crystal meth. | |
| 😈/ 👽 | The devil or alien emojis are used for MDMA (ecstasy or Molly). | |
| ❄️/ ☃️ / ⛽/ 👃🏻/ 🐡 | The snowflake, snowman, fuel pump, nose or blowfish (as cocaine is commonly called ‘blow’) emojis are used for cocaine. | |
| 🎈 | The red balloon emoji is used for nitrous oxide. | |
| 🚀 | The rocket emoji is used to represent someone high on drugs. | |
| 💨 | Previously used to show the act of dashing away, the moving cloud emoji is now often used to mean vaping. |
