Using Emoji in WhatsApp among the Students of Technical Education and Training Institutions in Tanzania

Using emojis is growing among people following the recent prevalent use of paralinguistic cues through computer-mediated communication. The widespread adoption of digital communication has led to increased use of emojis as non-verbal, paralinguistic cues, especially on platforms like WhatsApp. Despite this trend, limited research exists in Tanzania on how students in Technical Education and Training (TET) institutions use emojis, their level of proficiency, and the perceived impact of emoji use on communication. This study aimed to assess emoji proficiency, examine perceptions of advantages and disadvantages, and determine the influence of demographic characteristics on emoji use among TET students in Tanzania. A quantitative research approach was employed using descriptive and explanatory survey designs. Data were collected through structured questionnaires administered to a stratified random sample of TET students between November and December 2022. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that TET students possess an average level of proficiency in using emojis on WhatsApp. Participants generally perceived emoji use as more advantageous than disadvantageous, citing benefits such as enhanced emotional expression and communication efficiency. Furthermore, demographic factors, including gender, marital status, place of origin, and employment status, were found to have a statistically significant and positive influence on emoji use. Conversely, higher levels of education and increasing age negatively influenced emoji usage. These results highlight the role of demographic diversity in shaping digital communication practices and underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve emoji literacy among students. The study contributes to the understanding of emoji use in educational contexts and supports the integration of digital communication skills into TET curricula to raise more effective interpersonal communication in online environments.