USING emojis to communicate is a sign of emotional intelligence, research suggests.

Those who scattered more of the icons in chats with friends and family were said to be more in touch with their feelings — and better reflected their personalities.

2

2

Women were found to use them more and believed they understood them better, while anxious or private people were often less comfortable with using them.

Researcher Dr Simon Dubé said: “The way we interact during virtual communications may reveal something more about ourselves.

“It is not just a smiley face or heart emoji, it’s a way to convey meaning and communicate more effectively.

“How you use it tells us something about you.”

read more on tech

CHRISTMAS FLIX

Exact Netflix codes to instantly unlock every Christmas film and series

TOP OF THE POPS

Spotify Wrapped 2024: Find out which artist and song was the most streamed

In the US-based study, researchers questioned 320 people on their backgrounds and the messages they sent.

It revealed that being confident with emoji usage on correspondence showed emotional intellect — and a strong grasp of the feelings of the people a user was connecting with.

Psychologist Dr Dubé said: “Emojis meet a need for non-verbal support in the absence of signals and cues from face-to-face communication.

“This research suggests people often send emojis to reduce uncertainty, modulate the tone of a message or increase the precision of a message.”

Most read in Tech

BARE BONES

140,000-year-old mysterious human ancestor bone found in LOST land

ROTTEN APPLE

iPhone owners warned as two popular models added to doomed 'vintage' list

CHANNEL HOPPER

Brits receive two new TV channels on Freeview that kids will love

TAT'S AMAZING

Mysterious mummy with face tattoos STILL visible after 800 years found

The research team also reported finding a contrast in the approach to using them by men and women.

Dr Dubé explained: “Men tend to use a wider range of emoji types.

“Women, on the other hand, tend to use emojis more frequently and positively, including in public versus private communications.

“They also perceive their use as clearer and more familiar.”

The researchers also concluded that people were found to stick to words if they had so-called avoidant personalities.

These are often the result of having emotionally distant parents and can lead to problems forming close relationships.

Dr Dubé, from the Kinsey Institute in Indiana, added in the journal Plos One: “Our results could suggest that those who are likely to experience more discomfort with closeness and intimacy may also distance themselves from emotional conveyance on computer communications.”

Billions of emojis are sent every day, with laughing faces, hearts and thumbs-ups being the most popular, according to Emojipedia.