At last, a mosquito to ❤️.
Starting this week, the mosquito – the world’s deadliest animal – joins the ranks of the tears of joy emoji 😂, the kissing face emoji 😘 and the smiling poop emoji 💩 as one of 70 new emoji available on your iOS smartphone. It’s already available on Android. (Just download the latest operating system, which comes complete with a “bug” you’ll actually want).
At the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, we’re going to use the mosquito emoji to raise awareness in our social media and digital outreach around our work and research in malaria, Zika and other vector-borne diseases. Other organizations working in local, state and global health will likely use it in their campaign materials. Whether you work in the field of public health – or are just going camping or feeling “bugged” – there are many ways to use it. Read on and see #WhatstheBuzz about.
How will you use the new emoji? Here are some ideas!
Tweeting about research and academic papers is now so much easier. 👍
To keep malaria cases in check, a study led by CCP suggests that more insecticide-treated 🦟🦟 nets are likely needed between mass distribution campaigns. https://t.co/V3z7p2skbN
— Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (@JohnsHopkinsCCP) October 30, 2018
Remind your kids to use insect repellent.
Nagging goes down better with emoji, so these types of messages are best paired with the smiley face. 😃 (Check out the research!)
Is it mosquitos or mosquitoes?
Is it mosquitos or mosquitoes? End the debate – use 🦟🦟 instead!#mosquitoemoji #iOS1201
— Marla Shaivitz (@marlashaivitz) October 30, 2018
Creative combinations.
How many ways can you kill a mosquito?
🚗 + 🦟
🗞️ + 🦟
🥿 (also new today!) + 🦟
👊 + 🦟
= dead mosquito!#mosquitoemoji #iOS121— Marla Shaivitz (@marlashaivitz) October 30, 2018
Try out a limerick.
Tips on using the new #mosquitoemoji: New vistas for poetic expression, e.g., “An advocate working in Quito / Thought ‘Emojis for health? Those are neato! / To share a best practice / On good prophylaxis, / Now I can text 🥅 and 🦟!’” #WhatstheBuzz
— Simone Parrish (@parrish_simone) October 30, 2018
Save energy – and characters.
Instead of eight whole letters (“m-o-s-q-u-i-t-o”), you now only need one keystroke 
.
Easily tweet about Zika, malaria, dengue and more at global health events.
CCP is leading a symposium at @ASTMH on Thursday to explore the latest research and tools for those parts of the world where access to and use of treated bed nets is high but cases of 🦟-borne malaria persist. #TropMed18 https://t.co/8x9xlow39Q
— Johns Hopkins CCP (@JohnsHopkinsCCP) October 30, 2018
Shorten your warm-weather correspondence.
Too many 🦟🦟 and ☁️☁️. 😱
— Marla Shaivitz (@marlashaivitz) October 30, 2018
Learn more about the emoji via this video produced by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
