Emoji usage habits of generation Z in digital communication: A study on Ondokuz Mayıs University students

The rapid advancement of technology has resulted major changes in the forms and contents of communication. This shift has also influenced the speed of communication. The development of digital technology and the popularity of instant messaging applications have enabled people to convey their emotions through symbols. In this regard, emojis have created a new language in communication and have been frequently used by the Z generation. Emoji usage allows them to communicate emotional expressions in a concise and clear way. The aim of this study is to reveal how the Z generation uses emojis, the meanings they assign to emojis and the social media platforms they use. A survey study was conducted on the students of Ondokuz Mayıs University and the students' social media usage habits, the social media platforms they prefer, the frequency of emoji usage and the emotional meanings they reflect with emojis were determined. These data were examined and analyzed within the scope of the research questions. According to the research results, the Z generation uses emojis intensively in digital environments. They prefer emojis for various reasons such as emphasizing emotional expression, conveying tone and speeding up conversation. The social media platforms they use reflect an important phenomenon in the habits and social interactions of the young generation, such as who they communicate with more emojis, the diversity of the meanings they give to emojis.