communication
Reddit Post Sparks Big Controversy: Are Only Old People Using the “Thumbs Up” Emoji Anymore?
Thumbs up – isn’t that a universal gesture?
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The “thumbs up” as an emoji – it stands for a like, for friendly approval, nobody can find that bad, right? Apparently they do: Younger people supposedly perceive the simple thumb as a passive-aggressive “Yes” and as impolite.
It all started with a post on the Reddit internet platform. There people can anonymously discuss topics and ask questions. and a user named “Dry_Interaction6220” had a question. “I’ve just started in a ‘grown’ job where we use Microsoft Teams to communicate with each other,” he writes. “Most people use the ‘thumbs up’ emoji all the time. I rarely use it. I either ‘heart’ messages or reply correctly, even if it’s just a quick ‘Great!’ or ‘Thank you!’ Anyway, I think it’s normal to say ‘thumbs up’ to messages, but I find it such an unsettling reaction. Does anyone else feel like this?”
Other users react quickly, and it becomes clear: There are two camps. Many people in their 40s find the “thumb” nice and use it happily and without ulterior motives. For younger users, however, it is considered rude: someone doesn’t bother to reply with text. The thumbs up is thought to be the emoji version of mumbling “yeah” — and we all know what the allegedly means … The emoji, which is actually meant to be friendly, seems to symbolize a gap between the generations.
Is the “thumbs up” actually rude?
The surprising topic has already been eagerly discussed on Reddit. But the platform did not leave the emoji theory for a long time. It also remained at “only” 135 comments, which is not excessive. It was not until a good year later that a journalist apparently stumbled across the post. One who wrote for English-language tabloid media, which tends to be viewed as more conservative.
In any case, the topic, with reference to Reddit, popped up almost simultaneously in the “Daily Mail”, the “Mirror” and other newspapers, for example. However, nowhere is it noted that the discussion is already a year old.
And instead of an uncertain question, the posting becomes the headline: “Gen Z is canceling the hostile ‘Thumbs up’ emoji”. Fans of the thumb were outraged, opponents of the hasty liking shrugged their shoulders. The information that this emoji is used differently by different users helps to interpret it correctly.
Younger people can remind themselves that older people are by no means being passive-aggressive if they just respond to a message with a like. And older people can occasionally think that this might not go down well with younger people and force themselves to reply in text form, even if it only consists of “Okay”.