Appreciation is an act of acknowledging the efforts or positive qualities of art, work, or a person. People and animals have all displayed abilities to express appreciation in one way or another. There are even interspecies examples of appreciation, such as dogs becoming attached and protective of their owners who feed and shelter them.
You can show appreciation for loved ones by expressing it with gifts, acts of service, or even words of affirmation. Even strangers who compliment your outfit for the day are showing appreciation for the time it took for you to get ready.
Nowadays, the modern world has allowed us to express appreciation even through the Internet. Emojis can explain how we feel about certain topics, images, or videos we encounter during our time on the Internet or our conversations with other people online. Emojis can express disgust, love, anger, and even appreciation.
1. White Heart Emoji
There are many heart emojis that exist on the Internet. However, it is the white heart emoji that is appropriate when showing appreciation for something or someone. The color white is a symbol of purity and innocence. Meanwhile, the heart is a symbol of love, care, and understanding. As a result, sending a white heart meaning to appreciate someone’s work or existence is appropriate.
You can visit EmojiGuide.com for more details on white heart meaning. It is because it describes feelings of pure love and gratefulness to a person.
However, there are also times when a white heart emoji is used to send love to a departed one. It can also express appreciation for the lessons or care you received from the deceased. Common meanings for the white heart emoji involve close bonds, admiration, love, and support. Sending this to a loved one will surely make them realize that you acknowledge their efforts and wish to thank them for all they have done for you and others.
2. Hugging Face Emoji
The hugging face emoji is reserved for close friends and family. This expressive emoji symbolizes openness and creates a welcoming atmosphere in your conversation with your loved ones. Sending a hugging face emoji implies that you wish to embrace them and are happy that they are in your lives.
When receiving a gift or help with something, a hugging face emoji tells the receiver that the person feels gratitude for them doing these things. It gives off a sense of comfort and affection for the receiver. It is an appropriate emoji for thanking someone or congratulating someone close to your heart. However, sending this emoji to your office mates or acquaintances may startle them and make them uncomfortable. This is because the hugging face emoji also explains to the receiver that you wish to hug them.
3. Thumbs Up Emoji
The thumbs-up emoji is a great way to show thanks to someone during an online meeting or discussion. Workmates send thumbs-up emojis to one another after acknowledging the finished product and approving it for the next step.
It is common for an employee that has submitted their finished work online and reported it to their boss to receive a thumbs-up emoji. This shows both appreciation and approval of the finished work. However, in close relationships, a thumbs-up emoji may describe a cold and unwelcoming feeling. This is because thumbs-up emojis express a good amount of thankfulness and appreciation for the receiver informing the sender with no hint of personal care or feelings.
4. Clap Emoji
Parents often clap their hands when their toddler dances, draw, or shows an improvement in their growth. The same goes for award ceremonies and speeches held in front of the public. Clapping is a sign of appreciation for a performance or activity done in front of a large audience. This is also the reason why many performances have experienced being applauded on stage.
Online performances have become popular throughout the years. They broadcast these performances live or post them through online websites such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. When cheering for a performer online, it is appropriate to send a clap emoji. This implies to the performer and fellow viewers that you appreciate the effort it took for the performer to present their talents online. You can also use this to applaud friends who have reached important milestones in their lives, such as graduating from college.
5. Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes Emoji
A smiling face with smiling eyes emoji exudes warm and positive feelings to anyone who receives or sends it. The difference between the smiling face with smiling eyes emoji and a regular smiling face emoji is that their eyes also express gratitude. It mimics the way people smile with their eyes when are deeply touched and thankful for something or someone. As a result, this emoji shows an expression of admiration, appreciation, and a welcoming atmosphere for the viewers.
The smiling face with smiling eyes emoji is associated with feelings of genuine happiness. As a result, using this emoji and sending it to your loved one implies that you are sincerely appreciative of their support and love for you. It is a very personal emoji that is usually used between close friends and family alone. This is also the reason why Snapchat uses this emoji as a symbol to symbolize a friend you constantly converse with on the app.
Expression is Subjective
There are indeed certain behaviors and emojis that are universally used to show appreciation. However, expression is subjective. Those that know you well enough will understand your patterns enough to know when you are appreciating them. You could be sending your best friend a person dancing emoji and they would know from your personality that you are associating this emoji with appreciation. You can even notice the patterns your office mates online have, whether it’s showing disapproval with a frowning emoji or being thankful for you finishing your work on time with a smiling emoji.
But what if you have only recently just interacted with the person in question? These emojis listed above can certainly help you there until the relationship is close enough to establish expressions with the use of your preferred emojis.