A Parent’s Guide to Inappropriate Emojis

Updated – Originally published July 14, 2022

Emojis are the fastest-growing language globally with a whopping 92% of online communicators using emojis to communicate daily through texting, emailing, and social media. But parents are not native speakers. We’ve gotten pretty good at using a few laughing faces and a couple of hearts, but kids use emojis as complete sentences. 

Adolescents are likely familiar with this versatile lexicon, so parents also need to be. Recognizing some negative ways emojis are used can help us spot warning signs and navigate our kids away from potentially dangerous situations. Open communication is key.

What Parents Should Know About Emojis

While emojis among friends are often friendly and fun, they can be used by predators to gain trust and coerce children into taking and sending nude pictures of themselves. It’s important to remember that the tools used by kids are also often used by predators as well. 

Do Emojis Mean Different Things to Different People?

If you’ve ever had your child interpret your thumbs-up reply (👍) as passive-aggressive, then you’ll know that emojis often do mean different things to different people! Despite the assumption that certain emojis have undeniable and consistent meanings, that’s not always the case. 

One research study found that older and younger groups derived distinct emotional meanings from six out of twelve facial emojis. The basic smiley face emoji (🙂) signified joy for older folks. For young people, it meant contentment. With opinions varying on the meaning of simple icons, we should expect different interpretations for other, more ambiguous emojis.

Emojis are the fastest-growing language globally.

McMahon & Kirley

Regardless, it’s important for parents and children to remember that emojis are never as clear as written or spoken language and they can easily be misinterpreted and lead to hurt feelings or miscommunication. 

Emojis can also be a valuable tool for educators and parents in teaching children certain skills. They can be immensely helpful for kids who struggle to verbally express themselves.

Context is Everything

When viewing an emoji, always consider the context. Is a peace handsign sent as a victory symbol because our kid’s team won a soccer game, or is it intended to be a vagina? A bowl of noodles could be a request for a naked photo, or it could be our child asking to eat ramen for dinner. Sometimes broccoli is just a vegetable, and sometimes it’s marijuana. 

Drug emojis are part of an emerging language used to purchase drugs on social media. Nowadays, an emoji drug code is used to further the drug market without drawing suspicion. If you combine emojis, however, their meaning often becomes more clear. Consider these examples:

The above message indicates a request for penetrative sex, whereas the combination below references oral sex.

Emoji Meanings for Parents: Inappropriate Emojis Parents Should Know

Be aware that most emojis have multiple meanings, and these often hidden meanings of emojis evolve quickly with new symbols emerging and trending rapidly. Below is a list of some of the most common rude, offensive, bad, vulgar, and otherwise inappropriate emojis to avoid.

Sexually Explicit Emojis

🍑 (Peach) – butt.

🍒 (Cherries) – butt, breasts, and/or testicles.

🍌(Banana) – male genitalia.

🍆 (Eggplant) – male genitalia.

🌭 (Hot dog) – male genitalia.

😺 (Cat) – female genitalia.

✌️ (Peace hand sign) – female genitalia.

🌮 (Taco) – female genitalia.

🔥 (Fire) – sexual desire or lust.

🥵 (Hot face) – sexual desire or lust.

😈 (Smiling face with horns) – sexual desire or lust.

😏 (Smirking face) – sexual desire or lust.

🪛 (Screwdriver) – intercourse.

👉👌 (Point right + OK hand sign) – intercourse.

👉 (Point right) – fingering.

🍍 (Pineapple) – Swinging or sharing partners.

🧠 (Brain) – oral sex.

👅 (Tongue) – oral sex.

🤔 (Thinking face) – oral sex.

👌 (OK hand sign) – anal sex.

🍩 (Donut) – anal sex.

🍜 (Steaming bowl) – nude photos.

👀 (Eyes) – requesting nude photos.

🌽 (Corn) – pornography. 

🌋 (Volcano) – orgasm.

🍾 (Bottle with popping cork) – orgasm.

💦 (Water droplets) – any sexual fluids.

🥜 (Peanut) – ejaculating.

Drug and Alcohol Emojis

💊 (Pill) – Adderall. 

🔵 (Blue circle) – Oxycodone.

🅿️ (Parking sign) – Percocet.

🌿 (Herb) – Marijuana. 

🥦 (Broccoli) – Marijuana.

🍁 (Maple leaf) – Marijuana.

❄️ (Snowflake) – Cocaine.

⚗️ (Alembic) – Bong or other drug paraphernalia. 

💉 (Syringe) – Heroin.

😌 (Relieved face) – Getting high. 

😮‍💨 (Exhaling face) – Smoking, vaping, or marijuana.

😶‍🌫️ (Face in clouds) – Smoking, vaping, or marijuana.

💨 (Gust of wind) – Smoking or vaping.

⛽️ (Fuel pump) – Gassed, or intoxicated.

🔌 (Plug) – Dealer or someone who can “hook you up.”

This list is not meant to be comprehensive but is more a starting point. Emojis can also be a grThis list is not meant to be comprehensive but is more of a starting point. Emojis can also be a great way for kids to express themselves and be creative in their communication with friends and family. They can help kids to communicate more effectively and to express their emotions in a way that is both fun and creative.

Prepare kids for more tech by checking in with them often and having frequent, open conversations. Making mistakes is part of growing up, especially when it comes to communicating. We can create better dialogue with our children by being aware of the terms and emojis they use. 

Here are some additional tips for using emojis with kids:

• Keep it simple. Emojis should be used to help clearly convey a message. They don’t need to be complex or clever. Try sending a heart emoji to express love, or a smiley face to set a happy tone to the message. 
• Use emojis in moderation. Too many emojis can be overwhelming and confusing. Use emojis sparingly to add emphasis or humor to your messages.
• Be aware of the cultural context of emojis. Some emojis have different meanings in different cultures. For example, the thumbs-up emoji is often seen as a positive gesture in the United States, but it can be seen as an offensive gesture in some other cultures.
• Talk to your kids about the meaning of emojis. Help your kids to understand the meaning of different emojis so that they can use them effectively.
• Consider monitoring your child’s texts on a kid-safe device. This is a great tool to ensure that children are staying safe. Although it’s vital to approach the subject with tact and care – online privacy is a sensitive subject and requires careful planning to navigate.

With a little guidance, kids can use emojis to express themselves and be creative in their communication. So next time you’re texting with your kids, don’t be afraid to use a few emojis!

Did we miss any?

We do our best to keep this article updated but emoji use evolves pretty quickly. If we missed any that parents should be aware of, let us know in the comments. Stay up to date on the latest emojis and trends by subscribing to the free Gabb Now newsletter below.