TikTok’s language and slang have evolved from words to acronyms and even emojis. Emojis are the universal online symbol that consists of images and icons. And this dictionary of pictures has been re-coded by TikTok users.

Net Influencer decodes the meaning behind the chair emoji, commonly used on TikTok. We dig deeper to uncover its origin and usage. We also provide examples to help you better understand this unlikely TikTok reference. 

The Meaning and Usage of ‘The Chair Emoji’

TikTok’s chair emoji trend is an inside joke. The joke involves users across the platform, replacing the laughing emoji with the chair emoji. This baffled and infuriated those who were not in on the joke. 

The silliness and ‘inner circle’ vibe are part of the trend’s appeal. And many users took to flooding the comment section with chair emojis instead of the laughing emoji. 

The Origin of the Chair Emoji

The unassuming chair emoji was released in 2019.  It was clear what the emoji represented. The emoji was not popularly used and was merely part of the library of images available on social media apps. This changed in September 2021, when the chair emoji suddenly appeared in the comment sections. 

It all began with TikTok user @ksi who posted two videos with the chair emoji as the caption. This reached more than seven million followers. @ksi’s YouTube video from November 2020 is also referenced when tracking down the origins of the chair emoji trend. In the video, he laughs at a chair to demonstrate how infectious his laugh is.

The actual trend was apparently started by TikTok user @blank.antho who posted a video notifying his over one million followers of the inside joke. He told his fans,

“If you’re watching this you’re part of the inside joke,”

With these reports making the rounds, there is still considerable haze about who was really behind the chair emoji trend.

How the chair emoji has evolved over time

Emojis are a fundamental part of social media, and at large, the virtual experience. Used to express emotions, enhance communications, enrich expressions, convey tone, or simply depict an object; it has evolved into the modern hieroglyphics.

While emojis became exceedingly popular in the 2010s, they were invented in the 1990s. With over 3,000 emojis to choose from, the humble chair emoji does not stand out, in the slightest.

Only introduced in 2019, the chair emoji was used to refer to a chair. Other suggested meanings lean toward sexual innuendos inferring the user wants the recipient to “sit on their face”. Otherwise, the chair emoji remained unexceptional, until it was selected for the inside joke. This completely altered its meaning.

How to Use ‘The Chair Emoji’ in Content Creation

Content Creators have used the trend to show they are part of TikTok’s inner circle and have caught the wave of the inside joke. Even if the creator’s users are unaware of the trend, using the chair emoji still garners plenty of curiosity and interest. Creators have raked up likes, comments, and shares by using the chair emoji trend. It is an effortless way to increase relatability, engagement, and reach.

Examples of the Chair Emoji being used in popular content or captions

In this example, the frustration of not understanding what the chair emoji in the comments mean is hilarious. This creator addressed his confusion and frustration by creating this post. The comment section is filled with cryptic responses, followed by a slew of chair emojis. This adds to the humor. The words, ‘chair emoji’ are used as a hashtag in the description of this video, which received just over 123K likes.

This example is a smart attempt to combine the chair emoji trend and facts about chairs. The off-beat and funny approach is entertaining, and the facts are intriguing. The chair emoji appears in the description.

This example explains the chair emoji trend. From how it began to the spread across TikTok. The brief explanation covers the trend accurately and proves to be informative. The chair emoji appears in the description. The hashtag is also included.

Blank Antho, the trend creator, brings us this video about the power of Gen Zs and the redefinition of the chair emoji. The trend spread like wildfire, proving the immense influence and impact of social media. The chair emoji is just an example of the effect of the power of suggestion on a platform as large and influential as TikTok. The chair emoji and its hashtag, are used in the description of this video.

Conclusion

With the humble chair emoji at the epicenter of an inside joke, and its intended meaning altered, it is evident that TikTok has the authority and audience capacity to make just about anything go viral. The chair emoji has since been used in this context and has gained popularity. 

However, as silly as it may seem, the chair emoji trend boosts the creator’s relatability and allows for quick engagement.