It seems like nothing is safe from the things Gen Z wants to cancel, change, or question (rightly and wrongly, it has to be said), and a popular emoji could be added to that ever-growing list.
For people outside of Gen Z, the thumbs up emoji is frequently used to show that you agree with something, approve of it, or have read something.
But members of Gen Z seem to interpret it quite differently, describing it as a range of things, from “unsettling” to “passive-aggressive” to even “hostile.”
In a since-deleted Reddit post, one user asked: “Am I not mature enough to feel comfortable with a thumbs up emoji response?”
The user explained: “I’ve just started an ‘adult’ job where we use Microsoft Teams to communicate with each other for work. Currently there are only a few emojis available to use to react to messages (of course you can use any emoji when replying).”
“Most people at work use the ‘thumbs up’ emoji. I don’t use it much. I’ll add a ‘heart’ to a reaction or reply even if it’s just a quick ‘Awesome!’ or ‘Thank you!’ (I also feel like I overuse exclamation marks, but that’s another story).
“Anyway, I think sending a ‘like’ message is normal, but I still find it a very unsettling response. Does anyone else feel the same way?”
And many people were talking about it in the comments section.
The additional lawyer asked: “Why does it make you feel uneasy? Honest question, because I literally reply to 90% of messages that way. But I’m almost 40 so I’m wondering if it’s a generational thing. I feel more uneasy about the heart reaction.”
HuaAnNi responded: “For younger people (I’m 24 btw), the thumbs up emoji is used in a very passive-aggressive way. It’s very rude when someone just gives you a thumbs up. I also work in the same place, so it was a weird time for me to get used to it. So it’s a difference in communication culture between generations. No one my age at work does it, but Gen Xers do it all the time. It took me a while to get used to it and get out of the mindset that it meant they were angry.”
Comments were further divided, with older people defending the use of emojis and younger people saying they believe they have negative meanings.
AvalancheReturns said: “It’s simply a way to say, ‘I read your message and I have nothing to add, and I pray to God that the countless people in this group chat have nothing to say either.'”
SasiBan commented: “I know what you’re saying. In my previous job, we had a WhatsApp chat where team members sent each other info, and most people would just reply with “👍”. I don’t know why, but it seemed a bit hostile to me. It was like they were approving but also saying “I don’t really care/interested”. I don’t know if you feel the same way, but I got used to it and now I hate giving thumbs up too.”
So, it seems there is a generational divide when it comes to using the thumbs up emoji…👍 (how you interpret that is up to you)
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