Gendered Use of Emojis in Whatsapp Conversation among Pakistani Youth

Abstract

In recent years, how to communicate with people has changed a lot due to the use of technology, especially through mobile texting apps like WhatsApp. One of the most common things people use in these text messages are emojis i.e. little pictures that help express emotions, show what someone actually mean, or it even take the place of words sometimes. Various studies from around the world show that women and men commonly use emojis differently. Women tend to use them more as compared to men to share their emotions. On the other hand men might use them for cracking jokes or sarcasm. But most of these studies are based on people living in East Asian or Western countries. There is very less research on how these patterns work in areas like Pakistan, where traditions, culture, and religion strongly influence how men and women live and behave. This study looks at how youth in Pakistan, aged from 18 to 30, use emojis in WhatsApp conversation. It uses both in-depth interviews and real messages to understand how men and women make use of emojis differently in terms of how commonly they use them, the types they choose, for what they're used, and how people understand them. The research also looks at how values like pretentiousness, emotional control, and expectations from men and women affect how emojis are used. The goal is to get better understanding of how online communication and gender roles work in areas like Pakistan, and how this knowledge can help in areas like language studies, app design, and teaching about media.