Why NOBODY should be using the 'thumbs up' emoji in 2022 - and the 10 symbols only 'old people' use that have Gen Z rolling their eyes

[Moosedrool]

Sending a thumbs-up can be seen as passive aggressive and even confrontational, according to Gen Z who claim they feel attacked whenever it is used.

 

[RunningFromFat]

What about this one? I use it A LOT!

 

[MrGray]

I've never met a "Gen Z" IRL who has a problem with these. I think these journalists are literally pulling this out of their asses to create controversy.

These are actually the default emojis on a lot of apps anyway - i.e. you double click a comment or something in many apps and it will automatically hang the thumbs up on it.

On a practical level, these emojis save time and add sentiment to otherwise dry communication.

What are we supposed to use instead anyway that will not upset these terribly fragile people that allegedly exist somewhere? Is there an alternative set of "approved" by Gen Z emojis?

 

[backstreetboy]

Much better than the fake Apple avatars I see as profile pictures all around. Grinds my gears.

 

[The Voice]

 

[Cosmik Debris]

in some parts of the world, the middle-East is one example, it is actually the equivalent of showing the middle finger

... apparently US soldiers invading Iraq thought they had local support with all the thumbs-ups they were getting ... guess again

that's a very old interpretation that has nothing to do with reddit or some GenZ nonsense

Is this emoji offensive? You use it all the time:

 

[Fulcrum29]

The Irish Times, dated Feb 1st 2021,

Take note, Stephen Donnelly: the ‘thumbs up’ emoji is the most passive-aggressive of all

Tony Holohan texted that Covid-19 infection was rising in Dublin. Donnelly sent a thumbs-up

www.irishtimes.com

Take note, Stephen Donnelly: the ‘thumbs up’ emoji is the most passive-aggressive of all​

Tony Holohan texted that Covid-19 infection was rising in Dublin. Donnelly sent a thumbs-up​

There are some emojis that, in a business conversation at least, should never see the light of day.

Among them the aubergine emoji (obvs), the turd emoji (because you are not five) and the love-hearts-for-eyes emoji (or, at least, under a very, very specific and limited set of circumstances).

The “thumbs up” emoji may look like harmless enough, but rest assured it is the most passive-aggressive of all the emojis at your disposal. It’s a dismissive kiss-off, meted out with a single flick of the finger.

It’s a close cousin of the middle-finger emoji, for people not brave enough to use the middle-finger emoji. It’s a way to shut down a conversation without explicitly silencing them. It’s telling the other person to “bugger off” while still hoping to seem polite (which incidentally, you don’t).

Anyway, there is context in that article, but I am not going to post it all. Is this some Irish thing?

 

[Bismuth]

 

[Fulcrum29]

Article dated November 2020,

Does a thumbs-up emoji really mean ‘f*** you’?

Though not everybody The Independent reached out to—including reality kingpin Spencer Pratt—agrees

www.independent.co.uk

Reality show sparks fiery debate: Does a thumbs-up emoji mean ‘f*** you?​

Though not everybody The Independent reached out to—including reality kingpin Spencer Pratt—agrees​

As anyone who has lived through multiple eras of internet slang can attest, methods of text communication are constantly evolving.

Eight or so years ago, sending poop emojis just because we could was considered hysterical, peach emojis were code for backsides, and eggplants—well, you get the gist.

(And, according to Gen Z, there's an entirely new set of acceptable emoji code—for example, the laugh-cry emoji is out of vogue and the loudly crying emoji has taken its place.)

Which brings us to our latest discussion: On last night's second episode of Bravo’s The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City, star Lisa Barlow took offense to co-star Heather Gay sending her a single thumbs-up response to a question about attending a party. Barlow, apparently, interpreted the response as an insulting expletive.

And now, thanks to The Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City, a new emoji argument has sent Twitter into a frenzy: Is a thumbs-up emoji actually code for "f—k you"?

For her part, Gay claimed that her thumbs-up was not actually meant as a "f—k you." That said, “Two thumbs-up is the f–k you and that’s universal text code.”

But when a producer pulled Gay aside to ask if the text was meant as a “f–k you” to Barlow, she replied, “Absolutely.”

The entire exchange left viewers so perplexed as to what a thumbs-up emoji actually means, they took to Twitter to weigh in.

"I admire the bravery in calling out a thumbs up emoji as a f**k you on national television," tweeted author Michael Arceneaux.

“I’ve literally never sent a ‘thumbs up’ emoji as a “f**k you” but I can start,” tweeted another viewer.

The world is changing by the day.

 

[Fulcrum29]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Adulting/comments/rhie1e

Am I not adult enough to be comfortable with the "thumbs up" emoji reaction?

I started an 'adult' job where we use Microsoft Teams to connect with each other for work. Currently, there only a few emojis you can use to react to a message (unless of course, you respond, and can use any emoji). Most people at work use the 'thumbs up' reaction all the time. I don't use it much. I either 'heart' reactions or reply even if it's a short "Great!" or "Thanks!" (I also feel like I use too many exclamation marks, but that's a different story). Anyway, I think it's normal for to 'thumbs up' messages, but I still feel like it's such an unsettling response. Does anyone else feel this way?

Reply:

The general consensus I see with all my friends and all over the internet is that it’s way rude. There are memes and posts about it. You see people reply to dumb comments with the emoji, etc. it’s super savage. Definitely had to reprogram my gut reaction to seeing the thumbs up react or reply from coworkers.

I guess not every single person is aware of it but it’s definitely a thing. Idk if you’ve ever seen text screenshots people post where they reply to this whole message with a thumbs up, it’s definitely a not nice thing and it is usually a response if the other person is being rude or annoying or stupid. When Facebook got rid of the thumbs up you could grow all giant people were posting things like “how can I be extremely passive aggressive without a giant thumbs up emoji?”

My husband isn’t as online as I am so I wonder if he knows it’s passive aggressive. I’ll ask him in the morning, I’m curious on his take. He’s also 25. My dad who is in his 60’s sends it all the time. Means nothing bad by it of course but it’s still that gut reaction, idk why.

So... How long until YouTube removes the thumbs up like button?

 

[NarrowBandFtw]

Is this emoji offensive? You use it all the time:

offense is taken, not given

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Looks like he was attention whoring allover the interwebz and judging by this thread and news articles, he seems to have received his attention he was shopping for..

 

[chrisc]

Fake news, someone sucked it out his thumb. My neighbour, now 23 says she has never read such crap

 

[ShaunSA]

View attachment 1400113
What about this one? I use it A LOT!

If it's that colour I suggest you see a Doc asap!

 

[PrimeSteak]

WTF is this??????

These idiots don't speak for all of us.

Who TF gets triggered by a thumbs up emoji?

@WizardOfAges

 

[PrimeSteak]

All the Gen Zs on the forum should actually get a tag next to their username and we should be allowed to hurl any abuse at them without fear of infractions.

I vote against this motion, Honorable 3WA.

 

[ShaunSA]

I vote against this motion, Honorable 3WA.

Will the Honorable Memba please withdraw this remark!

 

[PaulMurkin]

**** Gen Z... useless, entitled pos

 

[3WA]

I vote against this motion, Honorable 3WA.

^Found one!

 

[PrimeSteak]

Will the Honorable Memba please withdraw this remark!

H O N O R A B L E @3WA.

H O N O R A B L E @3WA.

Please withdraw.

LMAO