Teenage Girl Who Once Inspired Disney Is Now Challenging "Nerd Face" Emoji

A school teenage girl is campaigning for better emoji representation for glass-wearers. Lowri Moore, 13, from Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, says one of the few bespectacled emojis is the "nerd" face, which she believes is damaging to the confidence of young glasses wearers.

Moore first made headlines four years ago when she penned a letter to Disney requesting them to make a bespectacled princess. Two years later, Mirabel Madrigal burst onto our screens in the 2021 animated hit Encanto – proudly wearing her glasses. Moore is now turning her attention to the company that makes emojis.

Encanto director Jared Bush later said he had been inspired by Moore, telling her "I am your biggest fan. I am so impressed by you."

Schoolgirl Calls For Better Emoji Representation

Moore is pleading to Unicode Consortium, the global body which decides what emojis look like – to broaden the representation of glasses-wearers on emojis.

She launched her new campaign today (13th October), to mark the occasion of World Sight Day.

Launching her campaign #GlassesOn at a school, Lowri said: “I am just trying to raise awareness for an issue which is large, especially for people my age, like teenagers, just to get glasses on emojis. Even if it’s just one (emoji), this is a positive change.”

Earlier, she told her audience that bespectacled emojis were currently limited to a teacher, a grandmother and a nerd-type character.

“It’s very stereotypical and I shouldn’t be put in a box. So many human beings just wear glasses so they can see, so why make it a stereotype and make people feel bad?” she said.

Lowri added: “Unfortunately, the only glasses-wearing emoji I can find is a nerd face. People who wear glasses are not nerds. But unless we address this, there’s a chance the next generation will grow up believing this lie about themselves.”

She is hoping her next letter to the Consortium will be just as successful.

Suggested Reading: World Emoji Day: Meet Jennifer Daniel, Known As “The Woman Who Invents Emojis”