ποΈβπ¨οΈ
Eye in Speech Bubble
eye in speech buh-buhl
Definitions
1
Social Β· Advocacy
uncommon
A symbol representing the 'I Am A Witness' anti-bullying campaign, encouraging users to speak up when they observe harmful behavior, especially cyberbullying.
Used to show solidarity against bullying or to indicate someone is watching/monitoring a situation.
If you see someone being harassed online, don't stay silent ποΈβπ¨οΈ
Anti-bullying campaign message
Just witnessed someone standing up to a bully in the comments ποΈβπ¨οΈ so proud
Social media comment
Created specifically for the 2015 anti-bullying campaign by the Ad Council and later adopted into the Unicode standard.
2
Social Β· Surveillance
rare
Symbolizes surveillance, monitoring, or being watched, sometimes with connotations of whistleblowing or exposing wrongdoing.
Can carry negative overtones of invasive surveillance when used in certain contexts.
Companies collecting our data without consent ποΈβπ¨οΈ Time to speak up about privacy rights
Privacy advocacy post
Has evolved beyond its original anti-bullying purpose to represent broader themes of observation and reporting.
Evolution Timeline
2015
Created for the 'I Am A Witness' anti-bullying campaign by the Ad Council and Apple.
Rising concerns about cyberbullying among teens
2016
Added to Unicode 9.0 as a ZWJ sequence combining the eye and speech bubble emojis.
Success of the anti-bullying campaign led to standardization
2017
Usage began expanding beyond anti-bullying to represent surveillance and whistleblowing.
Growing public discourse about privacy, surveillance and speaking out
Cultural Context
This emoji is unique as it was specifically created for a social cause rather than evolving naturally from user behavior, making it one of few emojis designed with an explicit social purpose.
Represents the 'bystander effect' countermovement, encouraging people not to remain silent when witnessing harmful behavior.
One of the earliest examples of a ZWJ (zero width joiner) sequence emoji created by combining two existing emojis to form a new concept.
Despite its specific design purpose, its meaning has naturally evolved to encompass broader themes of surveillance and whistleblowing.
Regional Variations
United Kingdom
Less associated with the specific US campaign, more generally understood as an anti-bullying or surveillance symbol.
United States
Most commonly recognized for its original anti-bullying campaign meaning, which launched in the US.
Generational Usage
Gen_X: Less likely to use but may recognize it in contexts of monitoring children's online safety.
Gen_Z: Most likely to recognize its anti-bullying origins and use it in contexts of speaking up against social injustice.
Older: Rarely used; might be confused with other eye symbols or surveillance concepts.
Millennials: May use it in workplace contexts to signal awareness of problematic situations or whistleblowing.
Common Combinations
ποΈβπ¨οΈπ
Stop bullying; be a witness and speak up against harmful behavior.
Used in anti-bullying campaigns and educational materials.
ποΈβπ¨οΈπ’
Speak up loudly against witnessed injustice or bullying.
Used in advocacy contexts to encourage active reporting.
ποΈβπ¨οΈπ€«
Observing silently; watching without others knowing.
Often used in contexts of surveillance or monitoring.