Want more dates and sex? 'Using emojis and emoticons can help'

Single people who use emojis regularly have more sex, according to a study by the Kinsey Institute in the US.

As digital communication transforms how people interact, the institute wanted to determine how the use of emojis affected communication and whether it had an effect on relationships.

Researchers carried out two studies, the results of which were published in the journal, PLOS ONE.

The first looked at using emojis in dating and whether more regular emoji use led to better interpersonal connections. It relied on more than 5,000 single adults for the study.

“Nearly 30% of this US national sample of adult singles used emojis/emoticons regularly with dates, and most reported doing so because they provide a better outlet for self-expression than strictly text-based messages,” it said.

“Importantly, emoji/emoticon use was associated with more first dates and more frequent sexual activity over the past year.”

In the institute’s second study, it analysed whether the frequency of emoji use with potential dates resulted in more intimate connections and whether the daters remained in contact.

The participants were 275 single American adults, who chose not to disclose their gender. Only 3.3% of them reported that they never used emojis with potential dates.

“Those who used emojis more with potential partners prior to the first date were more likely to have engaged in intimate behaviours with that person, and were more likely to have established a relationship with this person,” it said.

“Drawing on affect, evolutionary, and social penetration theories, our study helps show that in studying emoji, we may better our understanding of human social psychology in the modern digital world.”

It said the result of its studies suggested that emojis could be used, at times strategically, to inspire digital communication with expression in ways that “satisfy fundamental human desires, intimate communication and interpersonal closeness”.

“In other words, we find that the use of emojis allows daters to communicate important effective information to potential partners which facilitates successful intimate connection and more romantic and sexual opportunities.”