Personally I feel like if I need to use one, then I've done a poor job of writing.
I guess the other component is that I write a lot at work (I'm an engineering manager) and emoticons aren't really appropriate for that kind of communication, so I'm not in the habit of using them.
Not sure what to tell you, I'm the senior manager for software engineering in a company that makes rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and space electrical power systems. I've been working there for 38 years and emojis are pretty rare.
Huh interesting. Are you comfortable saying more? The company I work for did the EPS for the ISS, we did the MMRTGs for the Mars rovers, and some others. We're not at the same place, are we?
Hmmm, maybe we have a semantic issue. That's literally my title: Senior Manager, Software Engineering. But it's a heavily engineering company, not a heavily software company.
Emoticons started getting popular in the 90s, so I'm in the age group where that was happening. You'll see other people in this thread saying they felt like it was a boomer thing. I don't think my age is the reason.