In the second experiment, which involved 178 participants, these emoji were replaced with GIFs - either a negative non-face GIF, a positive non-face GIF, a negative face GIF, or a positive face GIF.

In a bid to promote inclusivity and challenge stereotypes, 10-year-old Teddy from Peppard, Oxfordshire, has initiated a campaign urging Apple to redesign its “nerd face” emoji.