Slightly smiling face

It is often used to express a mild sense of happiness, satisfaction, or amusement. This emoji is very popular and widely used on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

According to Emojipedia, the slightly smiling face emoji was approved as part of Unicode 1.1 in 1993 and added to Emoji 1.0 in 2015. It is considered one of the original emojis and has been around for decades. It is commonly referred to as the "smiling face" or "smiley face" emoji.

This emoji is popular among all age groups, but it is most commonly used by younger generations, particularly teenagers and young adults. It is often used in casual conversations, especially when expressing positive emotions or to add a friendly tone to a message.

The slightly smiling face emoji is not considered rude or offensive. In fact, it is one of the most universally positive and friendly emojis. It is often used in place of a simple "thank you" or to show appreciation for something.

The history of this emoji can be traced back to the 1960s when it was first created by graphic designer Harvey Ball for an insurance company's campaign to boost employee morale. The design was simple, just a yellow circle with two black dots for eyes and a curved line for a smile. It quickly gained popularity and became a symbol of positivity and happiness.

In the 1980s, the smiley face became even more popular with the rise of personal computers and the use of emoticons in digital communication. It was eventually included in the Unicode Standard in the 1990s, which allowed it to be used across different platforms and devices.

Today, the slightly smiling face emoji continues to be a popular and widely used symbol of happiness and contentment. It is often used in combination with other emojis or as a standalone expression to convey a range of positive emotions.