# How Your Kid Can Help Create the Next Generation of Emojis
Your child has opinions about emojis. So does the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that officially approves every emoji used globally. Here's how young people can actually influence what emojis exist.
The Unicode Consortium accepts emoji proposals from the public twice yearly. Anyone can submit ideas through their official website. The process requires documentation. Submitters describe the emoji concept, explain why it matters, and provide design sketches showing how it would appear across different platforms like Apple, Google, and Samsung.
The consortium then evaluates proposals based on specific criteria. They consider whether the emoji fills a genuine gap in expression, has broad appeal beyond niche audiences, and aligns with Unicode's character set philosophy. Emojis depicting real people or brands typically get rejected. So do hyper-specific items unlikely to resonate with global users.
Kids and teens have submitted successful emoji proposals. The melting face emoji, approved in 2021, came from crowd feedback. The hand gesture emojis showing various skin tones emerged from public requests. Even the pregnant man emoji reflects user demand for more inclusive representation.
Parents can guide children through the submission process as a creative project combining art, writing, and advocacy. Kids sketch designs, draft persuasive descriptions, and learn how democratic processes shape the digital tools everyone uses. It teaches that their voices matter in tech design.
The Unicode Consortium publishes its emoji approval roadmap publicly. Families can track which emojis are under consideration and understand the timeline from proposal to release. New emoji sets typically launch annually.
Getting an emoji approved takes persistence. Most submissions don't make it through the first evaluation. But the framework remains open. Your child's emoji idea could genuinely become part of how billions of people communicate. The Consortium's submission guidelines live on their official website, with deadlines and examples of