Kenyan TV host Natalie Githinji has made a playful yet pointed appeal to millennials: stop typing “hahaa” and start using emojis.
The Beatz n Buzz presenter took to Instagram to share her frustration with what she sees as insincere expressions of laughter online. According to her, text-based reactions such as “lol,” “jeez,” or “hahaa” often come across as forced and emotionless.
“Sounds fake to me,” she wrote in a post mixing English and Swahili. “Ile kicheko ya kumaliza story ama kucheka tu although kitu haikua funny… just to save the person from embarrassment.”
For Githinji, emojis offer a more genuine way to show how people actually feel. “Just use the EMOJIS! That’s why ziko hapo—to express your emotions,” she added.
Her light-hearted rant struck a chord online, with some fans agreeing that typed laughter has lost its charm. Others defended the simplicity of old-school responses, saying not every message needs an emoji.
Still, Githinji’s post highlights an ongoing debate about authenticity in digital communication. As social media habits evolve, even the smallest details—like a laughing emoji—are becoming symbols of how people connect and express emotion in the digital age.
About the Author
