The Changing Online Language of Hearts

Every year brings a new, trendy way for teenagers to create heart shapes to post online, said Mr. Sullivan, the TikTok creator.

“Part of it is the exclusivity, especially in the beginning, of just a small group of people knowing what the new symbol or hand movement is,” he said. “The moment it becomes too big, it becomes cringe.”

But what is old can also become new again. There’s been a resurgence recently of “vintage hearts” in videos, like the emoticon 3, Mr. Sullivan said.

“Like everything vintage, it’s coming back,” he said.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/14/technology/hearts-emojis-gen-z.html