Every day, over 6 billion emojis are sent and received on mobile messaging apps. These small images are used to easily express a wide-range of emotions such as excitement, anger, sadness, and joy. But for the 300 million people worldwide suffering from depression, joy is one emotion that can’t always be accessed.
To bring this issue to light, the World Health Organization is collaborating with WhatsApp to launch “Restore Happy.” On World Mental Health Awareness Day, all happy face emojis within WhatsApp will be temporarily disabled. When a WhatsApp user attempts to include a happy face emoji, they will be faced with a message explaining that for those who suffer from depression, happiness can’t always be felt. Users will then be directed to a mental health assessment which can help determine if they are suffering from depression and suggest potential treatment options.