GENDER IN THE USE OF EMOJI, STICKERS AND GIFS: AN EXAMPLE OF UZBEKISTAN AND ENGLISH SOCIAL NETWORK USERS

Abstract

This article examines gender-related patterns in the use of emojis, stickers, and GIFs in digital communication among Uzbek and English-speaking social media users. The main objective of the study is to identify the pragmatic functions of these visual paralinguistic elements and to analyze differences in their usage by male and female users. The research is based on communicative examples collected from social media platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, and Twitter. The findings reveal that female users tend to employ emojis and stickers more frequently to express emotions and social support, whereas male users often use them for reactional or humorous purposes. The results demonstrate that gender remains a significant sociolinguistic factor in contemporary digital discourse.