Teen emoji uses and their meanings

What's cool, what's not cool?

We hear from lots of parents that they often struggle to understand teens. 

Couple that with the emojis teens use nowadays, and it can feel like you’re speaking a different language entirely.

On top of that, the new Netflix show Adolescence may have you scared about what the emojis even mean.

The good news is that we’re here to decode all of that for you.

In the luna app, we hear from thousands of teens and have a dedicated team of teen ambassadors who have given us their insight into the emojis they use, how they use them, and what's just uncool.

With those insights, along with our own learnings from years of researching what teens are talking about in order to put out relevant new content in our app, we’ve prepared a guide to explain the meanings of adolescence emojis, aiming to bridge the gap between teens and parents.

Keep reading to learn everything about teen emoji uses (including what the ones used in the Netflix show Adolescence mean).

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Emojis to use and their meanings:

Why do you need to understand teen emojis as parents? 

Emojis are more than fun icons.

Emojis are a digital language teens use to express feelings, jokes, or even risky behaviour.

As a parent, knowing what certain emojis mean helps you understand your teen’s world, spot red flags, and keep communication open without invading their privacy.

Reasons to learn emoji meanings:

• Decodes hidden messages: some emojis mean more than they seem (like 🍆 or 🔥)
• Helps you catch warning signs: they can hint at risky or inappropriate behaviour
• Keeps you connected: speaking their language helps you relate better
• Fosters trust: shows you're interested, not just monitoring
• Encourages healthy habits: opens up conversations about online safety

Adolescence emoji meanings in 2025: complete guide 

While a simple 👅 emoji like this may not seem terrible, in reality, it can relate to suggestive behaviour.

Of course, we want you to take this with a pinch of salt – taking 👅 as an example again, it could also just be used because it looks cute, or for any number of reasons.

But if you've been spotting other warning signs in your teen's behaviour that this could be a clue to, or you're just curious about what an emoji could mean beyond it's "official" definition, we’ve put together this list of emojis and their "adolescent" meanings in their respective categories. 

Let’s check them out.

Teen emojis in terms of texting and social media behaviour

• Eyes emoji (👀): “I’m watching,” low-key stalking, or reacting to drama, side-eye or looking suspiciously, more sarcastic than interested
• Link emoji (🔗): used to explain linking up – planning to meet or hang out
• New moon emoji (🌚): to convey when you’re being a bit rude or sarcastic
• Open hands emoji (🤲): a gesture of asking or requesting
• Monster face emoji (👹): feeling weird or freaky
• Nerdy face emoji (🤓): to indicate an "erm, actually" moment, often used sarcastically
• Eye, mouth, eye emojis (👁👄👁): watching with interest, total focus
• Waffle emoji (🧇): used in slang as "stop waffling" (stop talking nonsense)
• Candle emoji (🕯️): when manifesting or hoping for something
• Peek face emoji (🫣): watching something you shouldn’t or pretending not to look
• Juice box emoji (🧃): gossip, “juice,” or drama
• Skull emoji (💀): “I’m dead” from laughing; extreme reaction
• Peeping eye emoji (🫣): when saying something slightly embarrassing or niche (e.g. “is it just me who…”)
• Clown emoji (🤡): calling out someone as fake, embarrassing, or foolish
• Eye roll emoji (🙄): annoyed, unimpressed, or sarcastic tone
• Thinking face emoji (🤔): being shady or sarcastic, questioning something
• Brain emoji (🧠): used sarcastically (“use your brain”) or to hype someone up
• Shaking face emoji (🫨): shock, chaos, or something dramatic just happened
• Fire emoji (🔥): “that’s lit,” cool, hot post, or impressive
• 100 emoji (💯): keeping it real, full support, or major approval
• Heart hands emoji (🫶): appreciation, good vibes, or positive comment
• Bullseye emoji (🎯): spot-on comment, agreement, or being called out
• Writing hand emoji (✍️): taking notes, sarcasm, or mock quoting someone
• Chart down emoji (📉): something flopped or was embarrassing
• Chart up emoji (📈): something’s trending or gaining popularity

Teen emojis in terms of emotion and mental health

• Pensive face emoji (😔): showing sympathy or sadness
• Face savouring food emoji (😋): excitement
• Face with tongue emoji (😛): excitement
• Squinting face with tongue emoji (😝): excitement
• Rolling on the floor laughing emoji (🤣): when something is funny
• Smiling face with tear emoji (🥲): when saying something that slightly bothers you
• Face with hand over mouth emoji (🤭): mischief, amusement, or being cheeky
• Crying face emoji (😭): funny, to indicate laughing hard, or dramatic expression of sadness or mental stress
• Face with spiral eyes emoji (😵‍💫): feeling dizzy, anxious, overwhelmed
• Pensive face emoji (😔): sad, down, or emotionally heavy
• Weary face emoji (😩): burnt out or overwhelmed
• Pleading face emoji (🥺): vulnerability, need for comfort, or emotional manipulation
• Exploding head emoji (🤯): overstimulated, overwhelmed by stress or shocking news
• Face in clouds emoji (😶‍🌫️): mentally checked out, lost in thoughts, or feeling foggy
• Broken heart emoji (💔): heartbreak, emotional pain, or intense sadness
• Mending heart emoji (❤️‍🩹): a sympathetic emoji for offering support
• Melting face emoji (🫠): embarrassment, social anxiety, or low mood
• Brain emoji (🧠): overthinking, sarcasm, or joking about mental overload
• Grimacing face emoji (😬): nervousness or awkward tension
• Person standing emoji (🧍): feeling alone, isolated, or uncertain
• Door emoji (🚪): wanting to leave a conversation or situation (can imply withdrawal)
• Pointed fingers emojis (👉👈): feeling shy

Teen emojis in terms of body parts

• Tongue emoji (👅): often suggestive
• Flexing muscles emoji (💪): often selfie-related or showing off
• Eggplant emoji (🍆): male genitalia
• Banana emoji (🍌): male genitalia
• Hot dog emoji (🌭): male genitalia
• Peach emoji (🍑): butt
• Cherries emoji (🍒): butt, breasts, and/or testicles
• Cat emoji (🐱): female genitalia
• Peace hand sign emoji (✌️): female genitalia
• Taco emoji (🌮): female genitalia
  

Teen emojis in terms of intimacy and relationships

• Fire emoji (🔥): impressive, attractive, or related to karma
• See-no-evil monkey emoji (🙈): used in a flirtatious or playful context
• Hot face emoji (🥵): used to express attraction or being impressed by someone

Teen emojis in terms of red flags and warnings

• Red flag emoji (🚩): universal sign for toxic behaviour or something not right
• Warning sign emoji (⚠️): general caution or danger ahead
• Bomb emoji (💣): explosive drama or tension building up
• Fire emoji (🔥): can mean “hot” but also chaos or things getting out of control
• No entry emoji (⛔): boundaries being crossed or “don’t go there”
• Stop sign emoji (🛑): someone needs to stop what they’re doing
• Exclamation mark emoji (❗): urgent situation or drawing serious attention
• Snake emoji (🐍): someone being fake, two-faced, or disloyal
• Clown emoji (🤡): mocking someone who’s being ridiculous or embarrassing
• Oni mask emoji (👺): evil, manipulative behavior
• Knife emoji (🔪): emotional betrayal or major threat (often used in dark humour)

Teen emojis in terms of self-expression 

• Crown emoji (👑): self-confidence, calling oneself or others a "king" or "queen"
• Nail polish emoji (💅): sass, confidence, glam attitude, "slay" often LGBTQ+ coded
• Rainbow flag emoji (🏳️‍🌈): LGBTQ+ pride and allyship
• Transgender flag emoji (🏳️‍⚧️): Transgender identity and visibility
• Sparkles emoji (✨): magic, uniqueness, or emphasising personality
• Dancer emojis (💃 🕺): expressing fun, personality, or boldness
• Drama masks emoji (🎭): playing a role, being expressive, or showing duality
• Rainbow emoji (🌈): colourful personality, optimism, and identity
• Sparkling heart emoji (💖): radiating positivity or inner beauty
• Palette emoji (🎨): artistic expression or creative identity
• Nazar amulet emoji (🧿): warding off negativity or “bad vibes”
• High heel emoji (👠): embracing femininity or fashion-forward personality

Trending cute emojis with no strict meaning

• Tulip emoji (🌷): soft, aesthetic vibe
• Sparkles emoji (✨): adds magic, shine, or cuteness
• Headphones emoji (🎧): chill mood, music, or cozy vibes
• Teacup emoji (🍵): calm, wholesome energy
• Wave emoji (🌊): soothing, relaxed, or emotional tone
• Bouquet emoji (💐): appreciation, softness, or care
• Sun emoji (🌞): positivity, warmth, or cheerfulness
• Cherry blossom emoji (🌸): gentle, pretty, or spring-like mood
• Ribbon emoji (🎀): cuteness, girly energy, or gifts
• Two hearts emoji (💕): love, affection, or soft vibe
• Pink heart emoji (🩷): love, comfort, or romantic tone
• Heart symbol (♡): minimal, aesthetic expression of love or softness

Emojis to avoid as a parent and their meanings

• Pleading face emoji (🥹): considered cringe and “beggy” in certain contexts
• Woozy face emoji (🥴): cringe in specific situations
• Nail polish emoji (💅): while often used for “slay,” it's losing popularity and can feel outdated
• Flushed face emoji (😳): may be used too dramatically, making it over the top
• Red heart emoji (❤️): not terrible, but teens tend to prefer 🫶
• Thumbs up emoji (👍): considered old-fashioned, not cool

Netflix web series “Adolescence” emoji breakdown

​The Netflix series Adolescence has started hugely important conversations regarding teen's safety.

Even a quick scroll through parenting forums, such as Mumsnet, you'll find plenty of thoughts, opinions and reflections which have been shared off the back of this.

One parent reflected in a thread on the Netflix drama:

“The show also shed light on the dark reality of online bullying, which was deeply unsettling. With social media shaping how kids interact, it was shocking that neither the police, teachers, nor parents realized Jamie [teen lead] was being bullied. They didn’t understand the emojis, acronyms, or coded language, until a young person explained it to them. It’s frightening to think there’s an entire digital world where children are being targeted and abused, completely invisible to adults.”

What got a lot of parents and caregivers worried is the double meaning the simple emojis can have. 

This series explores the hidden meanings behind certain emojis used within online communities, particularly those associated with incel and misogynistic cultures.

Let’s understand some of the emojis used in the series:

• Red pill emoji (💊): symbolises an awakening to the "truth" about gender dynamics, commonly referenced in the manosphere
• Dynamite emoji (💣): represents an "exploding red pill," indicating someone identifying as an incel
• 100 emoji (💯): associated with the "80/20 rule," a belief that 80% of women are attracted to only 20% of men, suggesting a skewed perception of attraction
• Kidney bean emoji (🫘): used to signify incel identity, possibly linked to certain online memes
• Red heart emoji (❤️): love or deep romantic feelings
• Purple heart emoji (💜): sexual desire or “horny” intentions
• Yellow heart emoji (💛): interest and flirtation (asking “are you interested?”)
• Pink heart emoji (💗): emotional interest without sexual intent
• Orange heart emoji (🧡): reassurance, comfort, or “you’re going to be fine”

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Hopefully this has helped you understand teen language better as a parent!

We understand how worried you might be about your teen's online safety, and we hope this article will help you better understand teen language.

If you're still wondering about how to ensure your teen gets helpful online safety advice, you can introduce them to luna. 

luna is an app that's especially designed for teen girls. They can ask anonymous questions, learn about topics that are tailored to them and keep track of their moods and cycles.