This study aims to examine how Chinese youth use “animal fugue” emojis (i.e. personified animal images such as capybara, Malo [monkey] and mouse) as a distinctive mode of mimicry in social interaction. By analysing the psychological motivations, identity work and cultural logics underlying this practice, the authors reveal the human–animal–human interaction mechanism through which emotions are regulated, roles are performed and social relations are encrypted.
A sequential mixed-method design was adopted, involving three data collection methods: questionnaire survey, in-depth interview and participatory observation. In total, 210 questionnaires were distributed to youth aged 14–35 with prior use of animal emojis, of which 160 valid responses were retrieved. Fourteen interviews were then conducted with randomly recruited survey participants, who provided narrative accounts of the emojis’ meanings and usage contexts. Finally, observation of one-to-one and group chats complemented these data. In terms of analysis, descriptive statistics mapped usage patterns, while interview and observational materials were analysed thematically, informed by visual rhetoric, role theory and dramaturgical/self-presentation perspectives.
The results show that animal fugue emojis have shifted from decorative add-ons to strategic tools for affective expression, identity signalling and low-cost social coordination. Respondents exhibited strong associative cognition around specific animals; for example, capybara users associated the emoji with “emotional stability/lying flat” while mouse users interpreted it as “office worker” or “nobody/ordinary”. Usage motivations extend beyond easing awkwardness and adding fun to include integrating into circles, displaying preferences and shaping one’s persona. Usage was found to be situational and concurrent. Across cases, animal symbols function as a defensive self-protection mechanism and a gentle resistance to overperformed online personas, translating structural pressures into shareable, humorous symbols that foster intersubjective resonance and circle identity.
The study conceptualises animal fugue emojis as a form of mimicry sociality and proposes the notion of a human–animal–human interaction domain that integrates affect regulation, role performance and social encryption. Theoretically, it bridges communication studies with social psychological and cultural perspectives, moving the literature beyond “cute-pet” emoji research to show how youth repurpose meme culture for identity work, emotional coping and subtle cultural resistance in everyday digital life.
