The Economics of Everyday Things: Episode 99 – Emoji

Release Date: July 14, 2025
Host: Zachary Crockett
Guest: Jennifer Lee
Produced by: Freakonomics Radio Network

Introduction: The Missing Dumpling Emoji

In this intriguing episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, journalist Zachary Crockett delves into the ubiquitous yet often overlooked world of emoji. The episode begins with a relatable anecdote from Jennifer Lee, whose discovery of a missing dumpling emoji sparked her deep dive into the origins and evolution of these digital icons.

Jennifer Lee recounts:

"We were texting about dumplings because that is what we do as Chinese ish women... How is there no dumpling emoji? Like, clearly the world is broken."
[01:13]

This observation not only highlighted a gap in digital communication but also ignited Lee's passion for understanding and expanding the emoji lexicon.

The Evolution of Emoji: From Emoticons to Global Symbols

Lee's curiosity led her to explore the history of emoji, tracing their roots back to emoticons—simple text-based expressions like ":)" and ":P" used to convey emotions in digital conversations.

Jennifer Lee explains:

"They basically are facial expressions that are denoted through punctuation."
[03:39]

The transition from emoticons to emoji marked a significant shift. In 1999, Japanese cell carrier NTT Docomo introduced a set of 176 unique 12x12 pixel icons, blending images with text to enhance digital communication. These icons, called "emoji" (a combination of the Japanese words for "picture" and "character"), included hearts, moons, cars, and other everyday items.

However, a challenge soon emerged: each carrier had its own set of emoji, leading to compatibility issues across different devices. For instance, a winky face sent from an iPhone to a Samsung phone might appear as an empty box or a question mark.

Standardizing Emoji: The Role of the Unicode Consortium

To address interoperability, the tech industry turned to the Unicode Consortium, an organization responsible for standardizing characters across digital platforms. In 2007, a proposal to standardize emoji was accepted, allowing for a unified encoding system.

Jennifer Lee details the technical aspect:

"All digital characters have a tiny piece of character real estate... They're looking up those zeros and ones in their emoji phone."
[07:34]

This standardization ensured that emoji could be universally recognized, although the visual representation varied by device manufacturer. Each company, such as Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Adobe, designs its unique version of each emoji, adhering to the Unicode standards but infusing their own aesthetic.

The Process of Creating and Approving New Emoji

Adding new emoji involves a rigorous process overseen by the Unicode Consortium. Proposals can come from both the public and member organizations, typically submitted between April and July each year.

Jennifer Lee outlines the criteria:

"Anything that is trademarked... Is it visually distinctive? Is there sufficient demand for this visual iconography?"
[15:02]

Certain categories are outright banned, such as trademarked symbols, deities, and living persons. Practical considerations include visual distinctiveness and cultural relevance. For example, the introduction of the orange heart emoji filled a gap where users previously had to use unrelated symbols like pumpkins.

Sometimes, iterations of an emoji are necessary. The mushroom emoji, initially red and white (often associated with poisonous mushrooms), saw a brown variant introduced in 2023 to represent edible types.

Notable Incident:
The mousetrap emoji faced criticism from PETA for its depiction of harm to animals. In response, the emoji was redesigned to a more benign cardboard box with a stick and cheese, inadvertently leading to its popular use in contexts like "thirst traps" on social media. Lee humorously remarked on its unexpected popularity:

"Every emoji has its day. Who are we to judge?"
[17:32]

Despite nearly 3,800 approved emoji, only a small fraction of public proposals (approximately four to eight) are accepted each cycle, highlighting the stringent selection process.

Design Diversity and Corporate Influence

Each tech company’s approach to emoji design reflects its organizational structure and priorities. For instance, at Apple, the emoji design team reports to the mobile platform division, whereas at other companies, it might fall under iconography design or even marketing.

Jennifer Lee observes:

"It really says a lot about an organization and how they think about emoji by like which org it is within the tech company."
[08:37]

The original set of emoji, created in 2008 by design intern Angela Guzman, emphasized meticulous detail—from the leather stitch on footballs to the freckles on eggplants. Over time, companies like Google have adapted their designs to align more closely with industry standards, ensuring uniformity and user familiarity.

Although these design efforts do not directly generate revenue, they play a crucial role in user engagement and device updates, as new emoji often necessitate operating system upgrades, which can include important security patches.

Cultural Impact and Communication Enhancement

Emoji have transcended their initial purpose as mere decorative elements in digital communication. They function as a form of paralanguage, conveying emotions and nuances that text alone might miss. For example, the addition of a laughing face emoji can transform a plain statement like "I hate you" into one laden with sarcasm or jest.

Jennifer Lee notes:

"Like, spill the tea... what's the tea?"
[20:45]

Moreover, emoji serve as ideograms, representing broader concepts beyond their literal meanings. This versatility has made them integral to modern communication, especially among younger generations who process information more visually.

Economic Implications and Business Integration

The widespread use of emoji has significant economic implications. Businesses leverage emoji for marketing, user engagement, and enhancing customer interactions. For example, Domino's allows customers to order pizza using the pizza emoji, and many companies incorporate emoji into email subject lines to increase open rates.

Jennifer Lee discusses brand involvement:

"Brands are also constantly trying to influence the new emoji that Unicode rolls out."
[21:22]

From Ford's pickup truck emoji to Timberland's boot emoji, brands see value in having their products represented digitally. However, genuine and user-driven proposals, like Lee's dumpling emoji, tend to have more lasting impact compared to those driven purely by corporate interests.

Conclusion: The Enduring Legacy of Emoji

Jennifer Lee's initiative to introduce the dumpling emoji not only fulfilled a cultural need but also exemplified the profound impact that a single emoji can have on billions of users worldwide. Her efforts underscore the intricate balance between standardization, design creativity, and cultural representation in the digital age.

Jennifer Lee reflects on her achievement:

"It's like, I've impacted billions of people. I mean, in a tiny, tiny, tiny little way, but still across billions of people. But it's kind of cool."
[22:08]

As emoji continue to evolve, they will undoubtedly remain a fundamental aspect of digital communication, shaping how we express ourselves and connect with others globally.

Produced by: Zachary Crockett and Sarah Lilly
Mixed by: Jeremy Johnston
Additional Assistance: Daniel Moritz Rapson

This summary captures the essence of Episode 99, providing insights into the economic and cultural significance of emoji, the meticulous process behind their creation, and their pervasive influence on modern communication.