What's Behind the Tears? Investigating the Role of Crying Emojis in WhatsApp Chats among College Students

Abstract

The research employed a qualitative descriptive methodology to investigate the utilization of WhatsApp, a mobile messaging and calling application. WhatsApp offers various features, including text messaging, image sharing, audio files, and more. To enhance the robustness of the findings, the researcher utilized a sample drawn from social media platforms, recognizing them as sources of substantial evidence regarding communication channels and message conveyance. Additionally, the study drew upon relevant literature from scholarly journals exploring the role of emojis in communication and their efficacy in expressing emotions. The research focused specifically on students from a university, particularly those enrolled in the English department at UMSU. The sample size comprised ten students who participated in the study.