Cool Parenting: Are You Sure You're Using Your Emojis Right?

Today, I want to help you with your Emoji problem. You don't have an emoji problem? Most adults think so. I talked to a teenager to learn more about emojis and how most grown-ups are using them wrong. I think it might become a series about 'Cool Parenting' for people who rather love children instead of raising them. Get your phone out, check the recently used emoji section from your phone and take notes …

My daughter (16) got strict rules on how to communicate via phone. For her, there are apps for cool people opposing to apps for mature people. And there's even a law concerning emoticons/emojis. There are emoticons for adults and those, again, for cool people. The following are emoticons that grown-ups are allowed to/do use:

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Everything else: Stay the hell away. These aren't for you! And those above already tell a story, don't they? A story about parenting or about codependency. 😂 <--- This one, by the way, is a huge risk. You are probably using it wrong. While many apps and frontends store this image under 'joy' or 'tears of joy', teens see it differently. It is sarcastic. "But parents send it laughing about their own jokes. It is sad. Very sad." (source: teenager)

	Shot from my research, German
	Translation + THE WAY YOUR BACKGROUND SHOULD LOOK. "Parents don't change the background of their chats. They don't even know how to. If they figure it out, it's the most embarassing picture of their children or a sunset."

Also out: punctuation. It's a waste of time. And who doesn't like a good online misunderstanding???

If your teenager allows you to, get creative. But first you need to talk to them. Prepare their favorite meal, let them have it in front of their favorite video game when you ask if it would be ok for them if you start becoming a cooler person emoji-wise. If you feel resistance, turn back immediately. Let them have their meal alone and think it through (They won't. They are already busy with eating and their favorite video game. However, you're a member of the club of cool parents. You never force anything). Open a chat or a conversation with another adult and do what they do when you say "no": Simply do it behind their backs. What about sending the other parent an eggplant? Or look what happens when you send a green leaf to the number you found in your kids phone, saved under Biznazz. Would you put a winking smilie here? Wrong. Make it this:

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