<p><strong>Yes.</strong> Emoji smiles are contagious just like real human smiles. </p>

<p>As <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470919.2013.873737?journalCode=psns20#.VLadY2TF871" rel="noreferrer">this study</a> suggest the brain activity observed when people look at emojis is the same when we look at real faces, and subsequently mimicry and emotion contagion follows.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>We presented 20 participants with images of upright and inverted
  faces, emoticons and meaningless strings of characters. Emoticons
  showed a large amplitude N170 when upright and a decrease in amplitude
  when inverted, the opposite pattern to that shown by faces. This
  indicates that when upright, emoticons are processed in
  occipitotemporal sites similarly to faces due to their familiar
  configuration.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Also, a more <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full" rel="noreferrer">general study</a> for on-line expressed emotions demostrated emotion contagion similar to face to face comunication.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>We show, via a massive (N = 689,003) experiment on Facebook, that
  emotional states can be transferred to others via emotional contagion,
  leading people to experience the same emotions without their
  awareness. We provide experimental evidence that emotional contagion
  occurs without direct interaction between people (exposure to a friend
  expressing an emotion is sufficient), and in the complete absence of
  nonverbal cues.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-12T06:36:06.603Z
2018-01-12T06:36:06.603Z
DesignerAnalyst
<p>It is fairly common knowledge that smiles are contagious is this also true when people are exposed to ascii/emoji smiles? ie. :) , ☺ , <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/OyOFW.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OyOFW.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>By contagious I mean making a person feel happier and more likely to smile themselves.</p>

<social-psychology><emotion><empathy>
Are emoji smiles also contagious?
Aequitas
# Are emoji smiles also contagious?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-01-12)

It is fairly common knowledge that smiles are contagious is this also true when people are exposed to ascii/emoji smiles? ie. :) , ☺ , [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/OyOFW.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/OyOFW.png)

By contagious I mean making a person feel happier and more likely to smile themselves.

**Tags:** social-psychology, emotion, empathy


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-01-12. Score: 5

**Yes.** Emoji smiles are contagious just like real human smiles.

As [this study](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470919.2013.873737?journalCode=psns20#.VLadY2TF871) suggest the brain activity observed when people look at emojis is the same when we look at real faces, and subsequently mimicry and emotion contagion follows.

> We presented 20 participants with images of upright and inverted
> faces, emoticons and meaningless strings of characters. Emoticons
> showed a large amplitude N170 when upright and a decrease in amplitude
> when inverted, the opposite pattern to that shown by faces. This
> indicates that when upright, emoticons are processed in
> occipitotemporal sites similarly to faces due to their familiar
> configuration.

Also, a more [general study](http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full) for on-line expressed emotions demostrated emotion contagion similar to face to face comunication.

> We show, via a massive (N = 689,003) experiment on Facebook, that
> emotional states can be transferred to others via emotional contagion,
> leading people to experience the same emotions without their
> awareness. We provide experimental evidence that emotional contagion
> occurs without direct interaction between people (exposure to a friend
> expressing an emotion is sufficient), and in the complete absence of
> nonverbal cues.


---

