Rachel, 19, said she spends a lot of time explaining to her parents why their emoji selections, to her, are humorously off-base.

Take the upset emoji of a frowning face. It is defined by online dictionaries as “frustrated,” and she said that’s how her father uses it. But it reads more sexual for Gen Z. It’s almost like a pained sigh because somebody is so attractive, she said.

On its face, the cowboy, a grinning emoji wearing a hat, can signify a special brand of quirky, giggly happiness. But for many in Gen Z, it means the sender is putting on a front, smiling on the outside while dying on the inside.

The skull and crossbones means death or hazard to many adults. Many younger people say that to them it signifies laughing extremely hard—as in “I’m laughing so hard, I’m dying.”