You’ve seen it. You’ve used it. You’ve probably seen your mom use it to respond to a post that definitely wasn't funny. The crying of laughter emoji, officially known by the Unicode Consortium as "Face with Tears of Joy," is arguably the most influential piece of digital punctuation ever created. It’s a yellow circle that changed how we talk.
Back in 2015, the Oxford English Dictionary did something that made linguistic purists lose their minds. They named this specific emoji their "Word of the Year." Not a word. A picture. They argued that it best reflected the ethos, mood, and preoccupations of that year. A decade later, it’s still everywhere, despite Gen Z trying their absolute hardest to kill it off in favor of the skull emoji or the literal "I'm dead" text.
It’s weirdly polarizing.
For some, it’s a warm, familiar hug of a reaction. For others, it’s the hallmark of "cringe" millennial culture. But looking at the raw data from sites like EmojiTracker, which monitors real-time usage on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), the crying of laughter emoji consistently sits at the number one spot. It has survived redesigns, generational wars, and the rise of high-definition stickers.
Where did the crying of laughter emoji actually come from?
It didn’t just pop out of nowhere in 2011 when Apple added the emoji keyboard to iOS 5. The history is actually way more technical and rooted in Japanese mobile culture. Shigetaka Kurita is often credited as the father of the emoji, creating the original set for NTT DOCOMO's i-mode platform in the late 90s. However, the specific "Tears of Joy" iteration we know today evolved through several stages of design across SoftBank and Google before being standardized.
Unicode 6.0 gave it the official code point U+1F602 in October 2010.
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When Google and Apple finally synced up on these standards, the floodgates opened. Suddenly, a teenager in Tokyo and a plumber in London could communicate the exact same specific brand of hysteria without typing a single letter. It filled a void. Texting is notoriously bad at conveying tone. Are you being mean? Are you joking? The crying of laughter emoji acted as a safety valve. It told the recipient, "I am laughing so hard I am physically leaking fluids."
The Generational War: Why Gen Z Replaced It
If you want to feel old, just use this emoji in a group chat with a nineteen-year-old. Around 2021, a massive shift happened on TikTok. Younger users started claiming that the crying of laughter emoji was "for old people." It became the digital equivalent of wearing skinny jeans or having a side part in your hair.
They replaced it with the Skull emoji (U+1F480).
The logic is a bit twisted but makes sense if you spend twelve hours a day online. To them, the laughing-crying face is too earnest. It’s too "loud." The skull represents the phrase "I’m dead," which is the current linguistic shorthand for finding something funny. It’s a more detached, ironic form of humor. Some also use the Loudly Crying Face (U+1F62D) to indicate laughter, which is confusing for anyone over the age of thirty who thinks their friend is actually having a mental breakdown.
Jeremy Burge, the founder of Emojipedia, has tracked these shifts extensively. He notes that while the "Tears of Joy" emoji saw a slight dip in usage among younger demographics, its sheer volume among the global population—everyone from your boss to your grandma—keeps it firmly at the top of the charts. You can’t dethrone a king just because a few million teens decided it was uncool.
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Cultural nuances and the "Passive-Aggressive" problem
Sometimes, this emoji isn't even about laughing. Context is everything.
Have you ever received a text that said, "Great, thanks 😂"? Depending on who sent it, that could be a genuine thanks, or it could be the most sarcastic, biting remark you've received all week. In many online arguments, the crying of laughter emoji is used as a weapon. It’s a way to belittle an opponent's point. By "laughing" at them, you're signaling that their argument is so ridiculous it doesn't deserve a serious response.
- It can be a "softener" for a hard truth.
- It functions as a digital "LOL" that requires zero typing.
- It bridges language barriers in global comment sections.
- It can ironically signal pain (the "laughing through the tears" vibe).
The Psychology of the Visual Laugh
Why did this specific face win out over the "Grinning Face" or the "Smiling Face with Squinting Eyes"?
Psychologists suggest it’s because it captures a "peak experience." Humans are drawn to extremes. A simple smile is boring. A face that is literally overwhelmed by emotion is much more evocative. It triggers a mirror neuron response. When you see that face, your brain registers a higher level of social engagement than it does with a static, mild smile.
Research from the University of Tokyo has looked into how emojis serve as "non-verbal cues" that replace facial expressions in digital-only environments. Without them, we are effectively "tone deaf" online. The crying of laughter emoji provides a high-intensity emotional cue that mimics the physical act of a "belly laugh."
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How to use it without looking like a "Boomer"
Look, if you're worried about your digital reputation, there are ways to handle this. You don't have to delete it from your "frequently used" tab entirely. Honestly, just pay attention to the room.
In a professional Slack channel, it’s usually safe. It keeps the vibe light. In a heated political debate on Reddit? You’re probably going to look like a troll. If you’re talking to someone under 22, maybe swap it for the skull or just the "loudly crying" face if you want to blend in. But here's the truth: the crying of laughter emoji is a classic for a reason. It’s the Coca-Cola of emojis.
Actionable Tips for Emoji Etiquette:
- Don't overdo the count. One or two is a reaction. Five in a row is a scream for help or a sign that you're over the age of 50.
- Match the energy. If someone sends you a "Skull," responding with a "Tears of Joy" creates a weird stylistic clash.
- Check the platform. What flies on Facebook (where the emoji is practically the national currency) might feel out of place on a more "aesthetic" platform like certain corners of Instagram or Discord.
- Use it for genuine joy. The best use case remains the original one: when someone actually tells a joke that makes you lose it.
The crying of laughter emoji isn't going anywhere. It is baked into the source code of our modern communication. While trends will come and go, and we might eventually move on to even more abstract ways of expressing humor, this little yellow face remains the most recognizable symbol of human mirth in the history of the world.
To stay current with how these digital symbols evolve, keep an eye on the Unicode Consortium’s annual releases. They often introduce "competitor" emojis—like the "Tilted Laughing Face"—but none have managed to capture the cultural zeitgeist quite like the original. If you want to dive deeper into the data, check out the Global Emoji Trend Report or browse the archives at Emojipedia to see the design evolution from the early pixelated versions to the 3D-glossy icons we have now. Understanding the tool is the first step to mastering the conversation.