What Is The Most Used Emoji In Each Country? This New Study Has The Answer

On the internet, emojis have really transformed the way we communicate and express ourselves. It’s no wonder why so many people claim emojis to be such a universal means of communication.

But you’ll be amazed at how diverse these little playful picture icons are.

Similar to the likes of any other language across the world today, many different users are creating their own respective emoji favorites and then comprehending those through a cultural lens.

Let’s take the Chinese nation for example, you’ll see the clapping hand emoji to be one that’s adored as much as corn is on TikTok. But similar to any other country’s language, when we talk about the standardization of emojis, things do tend to get a little political.

A lot of critics feel there are not enough emojis that represent minority groups and if there are, it’s just an underrepresentation of them. At the same time, these same critics feel there might be an overrepresentation of the likes of big tech giants that end up purchasing extravagant voting memberships while on board. As a result, so many efforts to enhance representation are being dubbed as a huge controversy.

Keeping all of this aside, have you ever wondered what it’s like to have a booming type of communication that does not make use of words. Instead, all you have are emojis that say so much but nothing at all.

To help this study get the answer to which emojis are the most popular in which countries, the researchers ended up taking a look at geotagged tweets that arose in different nations around the globe. This would provide insight into which emojis were popular in which destination and so on.

What you end up with is a map of results and it’s sometimes great because you really do wish to visualize what you intend on saying, right?

Summarizing the key findings for this report, we saw how so many different nations either end up laughing or sending love. So no guess that the red heart and the face with crying tears were used the most as the most common emojis around the globe.

In fact, the laughing face with crying tears is the most commonly seen in at least 75 nations. Then we saw how emojis linked to Wordle were quite popular in the US, making up an integral part of its list of top 10 emojis.

Another interesting point worth a mention is how emojis aren’t universal and in places like China, you’ll often find the emoji comprising of clapping hands making a suggestion of taking part in making love. Similarly, a thumbs up in places like Greece may cause people to be suspended.

In all of North America, the laughing face with crying tears is the most widely used emoji out there. It’s the same for apps like Instagram and Facebook. On the other hand, in South America, people are more patriotic and tend to release their flag as an emoji, more than anything else. But if we had to pick one, stats showed how the red heart is used the most.

The same goes for Europe where people love their flags but if not, red hearts and laughing faces take the lead. When looking at the Middle Eastern region, it’s interesting to see how sending a heart in countries like Saudi Arabia might be dubbed as a crime for harassment.

Other Asian nations like Japan prefer to use their own local emojis such as those pertaining to dragons or specific local candies more than anything else. But the majority of Asia prefer the red heart and their local flags more than anything else.

Take a look at below infographics fore more insights:

H/T: Crossword Solver

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by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Americans Aged 50 And Above Are Increasingly Embracing Smartphone Technology And Social Media, New Study Proves

A new research conducted by AARP is shedding light on the growing acceptance of social media among older aged individuals in the US.

The report that was recently published had to do with a survey that was carried out in September and October of last year. Moreover, the participants included a sample comprising of national representatives of about 2979 people in the US.

The results showed how those citizens that were 50 and above were very keen on embracing technologies linked to the smart world. Be it smartphones, smart TVs, and so on and so forth- you name it and they’re loving it.

As per the study, around 86% of the adults that were above the age of 50 claimed to own smartphones and that’s a staggering 77% rise from the year 2019. Meanwhile, 59% stated that they were in the ownership of a tablet and that’s another 47% rise from 2019.

On the other hand, around 70% spoke about adults being 50 years and above and using smartphones for a host of various types of activities. From texting and sending out emails to more, this user group really does find it a useful endeavor.

Meanwhile, other tasks conducted with this include sending out directions and getting access to the internet. And all of these results have dramatically increased in the past three months or so.

Read next: PC Industry Facing a Slump? IDC Predicts 4.2% Decline in Global Shipments for 2023
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Is Google Going to Discontinue Its People Also Ask Section?

Google has been doing a lot of work to make its flagship search engine product more effective than might have been the case otherwise. In spite of the fact that this is the case, not all of the features that had become commonplace on Google’s SERP are going to stay for good. One of the most widely seen additions to Google’s SERP has been reaching fewer and fewer users as of late.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that this is all coming in the aftermath of Google updating its product reviews feature. This seems to suggest that there is a negative correlation between product reviews and various search snippets.

The snippet in question is the famous People Also Ask section. It essentially shows users questions that might be relevant to the search queries that they typed out, but a report from Semrush indicated that it is being seen as much as 63.82% less frequently than might have been the case otherwise.

RankRanger also released a report that weighed in on what might be going on right now. According to this report, Google’s People Also Ask section is being sent out to 74% fewer users with all things having been considered and taken into account.

One thing to note here is that this drop occurred all of a sudden but then stabilized. That indicates that it might have been intentional on Google’s part. The tech giant may have been looking to declutter its SERP because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up making it more streamlined.

This section was rather popular with users, so this change might not be received all that well. However, others might say that it is going to help sites receive traffic. Google has been notorious for taking content from sites and showing it to its searchers without allowing them to click to the site in question. Such a chance might be a boon for websites that are struggling to keep their numbers up.

Read next: Video Previews Can Boost Downloads, So Why Do Only 10% of Apps Use Them?
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

VR Gaming Has Failed to Pick Up Despite Heavy Investments from Meta and Sony

It’s been about a decade since Facebook acquired Oculus, and the company was intending to lean even more heavily on its VR headset subsidiary after changing its name to Meta. VR Headsets are meant to be a part of the metaverse, but initially Meta will be focusing on introducing VR games that could be the next big trend in the gaming world with all things having been considered and taken into account.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, it really doesn’t seem like VR gaming is picking up much steam. Meta isn’t the only one that is investing pretty heavily in the industry either. Sony is yet another multinational giant that is attempting to use VR to bolster their sales, but with all of that having been said and now out of the way it is important to note that their combined efforts have failed to even make a dent in the world of gaming.

Video games currently have a user penetration rate of 45%, but VR headsets are only being purchased by a miniscule 1% of customers. What’s more, the rate of growth for this industry is not looking too good either. VR headsets are predicted to reach a paltry 1.7% market penetration by 2027. By comparison, video games are expected to reach a whopping 51% of market penetration which will make VR even more irrelevant than might have been the case otherwise.

This makes it seem like VR gaming and the use of VR headsets in general will remain a niche segment of the market. If this happens to be true, it could create seismic changes in the tech world. Meta will suffer greatly because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up bankrupting the country in the long run. Sony might escape relatively unscathed, but chances are they will never focus on VR ever again.

Companies often try out bold new products, but few bank as heavily on them as Meta has. This could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

Source: Statista
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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Only 9% of Americans Trust Self Driving Cars, New Poll Reveals

Self driving cars are often touted as the next big wave of the automotive industry. The benefits of autonomous vehicles are supposed to include reducing traffic and helping people to multitask more easily than might have been the case otherwise. In spite of the fact that this is the case, it doesn’t seem like all that many Americans are ready to trust cars that can operate themselves automatically.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that a recent poll from AAA revealed American sentiments in this regard. According to the findings of this poll, around 68% of Americans said that they were downright afraid of self driving cars. 23% said that they were not all that sure about how they truly felt about them, and just 9% said that they felt like they could trust them to help them out with their day to day transportation needs.

One thing to mention here is that the proportion of Americans who can’t seem to trust vehicles that are capable of autonomous operationality has gone up since last year. Back in 2022, 55% of Americans revealed such sentiments, and this proportion has clearly gone up by a staggering 13 percentage points within the span of a singe year.

However, some are saying that a lack of consumer trust is not a significant hurdle because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up getting overcome in a few years. Customers are often wary of new forms of tech, and companies like Tesla might have made matters worse by jumping the gun and selling self driving cars that weren’t very safe.

Self driving cars definitely have a long way to go with all things having been considered and taken into account. Obtaining consumer trust will be crucial if this industry is expected to grow. The negative shift in sentiments is a clear setback, but the huge amount of investment that is going into the creation of self driving vehicles might be able to turn it around in the long term.

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by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World

Social Media Industry Benchmarks Study 2023 - Unveiling The Changes That Cause Changes

Having data at your fingertips is what helps you keep up with the social media updates and the last changes that take place behind the scene.

And when I say “behind the scene”, I mean analytics data that unveils industry changes influenced by fluctuations in metrics’ values for every social media network.

Luckily, the team from Socialinsider has recently launched an updated version of their social media industry benchmarks study, highlighting how engagement on social media is declining year after year.

Let’s find out together what happened on every social media network that influenced changes for top industries.

1.Key insights on social media engagement benchmarks

Socialinsider found that the engagement rate for all social media networks has gradually decreased.

On TikTok, the engagement rate calculated by followers is 4.25% on average, and the engagement rate calculated by views is 5.10%.

This shows that the engagement rate for TikTok, on average, has dropped by 28%.

For Instagram, the story is no different. For this social platform, the engagement rate is 0.60%, showing that it’s on a downward slope.

On Instagram, Reels is the best-performing type of content.

When it comes to Facebook, the engagement rate is situated at an average of 0.15%, while the engagement rate for Twitter ranks last, with 0.05% on average.

When making a comparison with the other three well-known social media networks, the highest engagement rate is on TikTok, with a value of 4.25%.

This is what gives hope to marketers, thinking that videos are the key to an increasing engagement rate.

2.Social media benchmarks for every platform

Brands that establish an online presence on every social media network can easily make a distinction between the audiences from each of them and how they respond differently to each content type.

To make proper use of the data obtained via social media benchmarks, you need specific insights for your industry. This way, you can use the data to build a marketing strategy with higher chances of success.

By comparing the performance of top 20 industries depending on engagement rate in 2021 and 2022, Socialinsider obtained promising results for the development of accurate strategies.

The popularity of TikTok is easily influencing the manner in which audiences react to different content types on other social media networks.

Therefore, brands learnt to adapt, making room for change and updated marketing strategies.

The Beverages industry is the most engaging sector on TikTok, with an engagement rate of 7.69%.

When thinking about Instagram, where Reels have transformed into TikTok videos’ greatest competition, there are some industries that managed to make a difference.

This year’s social media industry benchmarks showed that the most engaging sector on Instagram is the FMCG Food industry.

The FMCG Food sector has an engagement rate that reached 0.96%.

In comparison with the platform’s overall low engagement rate, numerous brands from the Airlines industry, FMCG Food, Arts & crafts, Beverages, Travel and Alcohol can be proud of their results.

Industry benchmarks show that all these sectors have above-average engagement scores.



When looking at Facebook, despite the overall dropping engagement rate, there are some sectors that feature a higher performance, standing out.

The Beverages and FMCG Food sectors differentiate themselves from the rest of the sectors, when it comes to the engagement rate registered on Facebook.

When considering Twitter, its engagement rate has remained steady for quite a while now.

However, regarding the engagement rate, the sector that reached a new high on Twitter is the Arts & crafts industry.

This sector has a double engagement rate in comparison with the overall score for other social media networks.

TikTok proved it already: videos rock on social. It set the bar high for other social media networks and now users prefer videos instead of using other forms of content.

The reason is pretty obvious. Videos are more entertaining, shorter and it takes less time to watch them.

The social network that quickly followed lead is Instagram, with the increasing popularity of Reels.

Data shows that Instagram Reels register an engagement rate of 0.93% on average, almost double if we compare it to the values registered for other kinds of posts.

There’s a reason why Reels manage to register such highs.

It is all thanks to the Reels’ double exposure, nurtured by the platform’s algorithm. Reels appear both in the regular Instagram feed (where there also appear carousels and images), and the Reels video feed.



Older social networks have also started riding this new wave of videos. Facebook now has its own Reels feature.

This shows that Facebook’s videos are the most engaging form of content, recording an engagement rate of 0.17%.

Relaying on our research, Twitter has the overall lowest engagement rate. However, an in-depth analysis of all average engagement rates for every content type on Twitter has revealed that videos can record the same values as they do on Facebook.

3. Best practices from experts inspired by social media industry benchmarks 2023

After getting all this data about all social media networks, brands can adjust or create new marketing strategies that fuel their growth and brand recognition.

Here are a few practices from experts inspired by the infos that you find in the social media industry benchmarks study 2023:

• Don’t repurpose videos from other social networks and utilize them on TikTok;
• Post relevant news related to trending content;
• Introduce the use of carousels to increase reach;
• Be careful when it comes to your audience’s interests;
• Post a Story every day for audience retention;
• Implement short-form videos, with a twist, sprinkled with a personal approach;
• Invest more time and resources to develop a loyal community;
• Try Twitter Spaces to connect with your audience.

Final thoughts

The study is meant to help marketers and brands who need a solid strategy based on numbers.

All the information obtained can help you change your social media content planning based on the latest trends and audience’s interests.

Read next: What Tools Does A Small Business Need For A Successful Empire? This Study Has The Answer
by Irfan Ahmad via Digital Information World

Robocalls Decreased by 4% in February MoM

Robocalls can be a real nuisance because of the fact that this is the sort of thing that could potentially end up bombarding consumers with call that are advertising all kinds of products that they don’t want. What’s more, these calls are often being sent out by scammers in the hopes that their frequency will make customers more willing to accept out of frustration than might have been the case otherwise.

With all of that having been said and now out of the way, it is important to note that the number of robocalls that consumers had do deal with declined by as much as 4% in February as compared to the month prior. Around 4.3 billion robocalls were recorded, significantly less than the nearly 4.5 million that was recorded in the month of January, according to YouMail Robocall Index.

In spite of the fact that this is the case, these numbers don’t tell the full story. February has three fewer days than January, so robocallers didn’t have quite as much time to get their numbers up. Furthermore, if we were to take a look at the data pertaining to robocalls stretching all the way back to August, a clearer picture starts to emerge.

Every month since August has seen between 4.2 million and 4.7 million robocalls on average. This shows that February was actually a pretty standard month with all things having been considered and taken into account.

Another thing to note here is that things start to look quite dire if you look at it on a per day basis. Back in January, around 145.5 million robocalls went to consumers each and every day. February saw this increase by as much as 6.3%, since robocallers contacted customers 154.6 million times per day.

Been that don’t seem to be going away anytime soon, and their numbers have been frustratingly stagnant and stable since at least the second half of 2022. Consumers will have to come up with creative ways to keep robocalls at bay, otherwise they may not get the chance to enjoy any peace with the incessant calls that are hawking fraudulent goods and trying to scam them.

Read next: 39% of Domestic Chores Will Be Performed By Robots Within a Decade
by Zia Muhammad via Digital Information World