Social media users supporting the Democratic Party have stopped using the red heart emoji in their daily texting lingo due to its newfound association with the Trump campaign.
Newsletter writer Casey Lewis, who created the After School newsletter on substack, took to TikTok to voice her discomfort with using the red heart following the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. Lewis, who includes a ❤️ in most of her messages, stated that the emoji began to take on a different meaning to her.
"I feel like a red heart emoji implies MAGA," she said, "and so I no longer know how to punctuate my sentences. I guess I'll have to go back to using an exclamation mark...Because the red heart for me is dead, at least for a while."
@caseymorrowlewis it’s giving MAGA
♬ original sound - Casey Lewis
Lewis' video, which was captioned "it's giving MAGA", amassed 117,000 views, with many TikTok users sounding off in the comments about similar hesitations they experienced in using the red heart, according to User Mag.
"Yes, I accidentally used it yesterday and QUICKLY had to clarify," said one user.
Some users began offering solutions or emojis with more agreeable connotations that Democrat social media users could enlist instead.
"[The red heart emoji] gives me a deep ick now. I refuse to use it anymore. I like the blue hearts or black hearts, but not together because that feels too 'blue line' adjacent," said a user.
"Yes!! I've moved to 🤩 or 💙," wrote one user.
"Yes and I keep using 🩵, 💙, or 💕" said another.
However, some users replied to Lewis' video and shared that the color red had been ruined for them entirely due to ongoing political developments.
"I unfortunately bought very cute red sweater last month that i also feel is ruined for me 😔" wrote one user.
"Matter of fact the whole color red has been ruined by maga for me ngl😭😭😭," concurred another.
In recent years, emojis, once seen as harmless tools to enhance communication, have increasingly taken on political connotations. Following the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict after the Oct. 7 attacks in 2023, the watermelon emoji became synonymous with the flag of Palestine due to having the same colors: red, green, white and black.
"Things are becoming more politicized online," commented Jeremy Burge, the founder of Emojipedia, an emoji encyclopedia. "Increased politicization makes people want to put their politics front and center, and emoji is something we all have on our phones. Why would you not use one to push your political beliefs?"
Originally published in Latin Times.
