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You've typed it, deleted it and typed it again. You need to let your colleague know there's a problem with a project at work. Should you use a grinning face—😄—in that Slack message to soften the blow, or an angry face—😠—to show your distress?

If you've experienced this type of internal debate, you're not alone. Instant messaging now dominates workplace communication, with 91% of businesses using two or more chat platforms . But when we instant message, we can't see our colleagues' facial expressions. We try to compensate with emojis, using them as stand-ins for non-verbal cues .

But do emojis actually help, or can they backfire?

My recent study, conducted with colleagues at the University of Ottawa and published in Collabra: Psychology , reveals that emoji choice matters.…