Management consultant Sue Ellson says it’s important to understand the dynamics of your workplace before sending emojis — especially thumbs up
Sending a thumbs up can be seen as passive aggressive and even confrontational, according to Gen Z, who claim they feel attacked every time it’s used.
Whether the chat is informal, between friends or at work, the symbol seems to have a very different, “rude” meaning for the younger generation.
A 24-year-old on Reddit summed up the Gen Z argument, saying it’s best “not to be used in any situation” as it’s “hurting.”
“Nobody my age in the office does it, but Gen X people always do it. It took me a little bit to adjust and get out of my head that it means they’re mad at me,” he added.
Other emojis used by “old people” include the red love heart, the OK hand, and the contorted face, according to a recent survey of 2,000 youth aged 16 to 29
Others agreed it’s bad form, especially at work, where it can make the team seem unfriendly and unapproachable.
“At my last place of work there was a WhatsApp chat where our team could send information to each other and most of the people there just gave a thumbs up in reply. I don’t know why, but it struck me as a little hostile,” said one woman.
And according to management consultant Sue Ellson, it may be time to take the lead from the younger generation.
She believes that words are always better than symbols in a professional icon, and can see people becoming disillusioned with the ‘all good’ icon.
Top 10 emojis that make you look “old”.
1 – Thumbs up – 24%
2 – Red Love Heart – 22%
3 – OK hand – 20%
4 – Tick – 17%
5 – feces – 17%
6 – Face crying loudly – 16%
7 – Monkey Eye Coverage – 15%
8 – hand clapping – 10%
9 – Lipstick Kiss Trail – 10%
10 – Grimace – 9%
“Prediction systems can type a word like ‘thank you’ in two clicks after a while,” she told FEMAIL.
“It feels like people are ‘too lazy’ to type in a written response and there is no clarity on next steps,” she said.
“Do you mean yes I will do something ok I agree or is it just an acknowledgment that you got the message,” she added.
And a poll of 2,000 youth aged 16 to 29 found the same thing, with the majority agreeing that those who sent them in were “officially old and older”.
Some people say it took them a long time to realize their boss wasn’t mad at them when they gave the thumbs up
Other emojis used by “old people” that rank in the top ten are the red love heart, the OK hand, and the distorted face.
Office workers on Reddit have long been at odds on the subject — and it seems age has everything to do with it.
opinion poll
Is the thumbs-up emoji in your text vocabulary?
- Yes I love using it 246 votes
- Yes, but with the intention of being passive-aggressive 16 votes
- No, it’s a pathetic 24 votes
While people in their mid-thirties are happy with a thumbs-up, younger people are not.
“Why do you feel it’s disturbing? Honest question…because that’s literally how I reply to 90% of messages…I’m almost 40 though,” one person said.
And it seemed the older the person behind the keyboard was, the more likely it was that they loved giving the thumbs up.
“I love it because it means many, many things. It means “I agree” or “I understand and will obey” or “I agree”. If anything, my only objection would be that some days it’s hard to tell which one it means. But it’s pretty clear in general,” said one woman.
Passive-aggressive corporate email jargon decoded
‘Per my last email’ – The information comes from previous correspondence. Why didn’t you bother to read it before you asked?
“Hope this helps” – Never ask me for anything again.
“Thank you for your feedback, I will definitely remember it” – your criticism is wrong and irrelevant and I will never take it into account.
“Just to clarify” – Do you realize how silly that sounds?
‘Orbit Only’ – Now give me an answer to my question.
“As discussed” – I didn’t put it in writing last night as I assumed it was obvious and that you were an adult.
“Although I understand your urgency” – Just because you didn’t do something when you should, it’s not my problem.
‘I’ll leave it to you two from here’ – I’m not a part of this conversation and I don’t want to be.
‘Thanks for the contribution!’ – Don’t ever talk to me again.
“I’ve attached another copy for you” – Don’t pretend you didn’t see the first one.
“Just a few things” – This is so awful, where do I even start?
“Friendly Reminder” – There is nothing friendly in this message.
‘As soon as possible’ – Do it now!
‘Let me know if you have any questions!’ – I really hope you don’t have any questions.
opinion poll
What’s your most hated passive-aggressive corporate email phrase?
- As already discussed, 86 votes
- Hope this helps 46 votes
- Per my last email 90 votes
- Just to clarify, 44 votes
- I’m a little confused 87 votes
- A few things 49 votes
Ms Ellson said some people hate the thumbs up because it’s seen as an automatic option and “might have been pressed by mistake”.
And agreed with other people’s fears that it might be misunderstood.
“It may have very different meanings depending on the recipient’s cultural background — recognition, good fortune, encouragement, number one, or going to the surface while diving,” she said.
She believes the thumbs-up should stay on social media, or text at most,
“Liking a message before replying in text can be a nice technique because it indicates the sender’s message was ‘good,’ and it can help the relationship,” she said.
Ms Ellson said it’s important to understand relationship dynamics in the workplace before deciding whether or not to use emojis.
This includes whether the organization would be okay with employees sending emojis to customers.
It’s also important to check in with staff to ensure no one is offended by the chosen emojis, as their meaning can change between communities.