Is it true if you don’t use it, you lose it? Well, when it comes to using emojis and a chance to have sex, then yes, yes it is, a survey from Match.com has found.
“It turns out that 54% of emoji users had sex in 2014 compared to 31% of singles who did not,” Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers University who helped lead the study, told TIME.
The Singles in America survey polled 5,675 non-Match using singles in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Not only do emoji users have more sex and go on more dates, but 62 percent of emoji users want to get married, compared to just 30 percent of non-users. The reason? It’s hard to judge tone in text messages, but emojis bridge that gap; they imply emotional and sexual interest. It’s easier to gauge whether a girl likes you back and takes some of the guesswork out of the equation.
So if your sex life and future is as bland—or imaginative—as your text messages, what emojis will you add to your repertoire? A popular go-to like hearts, lips or winks? Suggestive foods like a banana or an eggplant? Or maybe you want to take a more nuanced-approach to telling her you’re into her with, say, a rocket ship or volcano? Too much? Probably…definitely. Smiley faces are good—great, actually.
Add some emojis to up the ante on your texting game. Just don’t overwhelm her. You want moderation, not inundation. And make sure you’re familiar with each other and she’s into you, too! Winky faces and strangers don’t mix. Ever.
