To use thumbs up emoji all the time (light-hearted)

[NeededANameChangeAnyway]

I just read on another thread that the thumbs up emoji is a sort of passive aggressive way of fobbing people off or dismissing them.

I use the thumbs up emoji all the time! I use it to acknowledge that I've seen and understood the message, e.g. my train gets in at 10am (thumbs up), this thing you thought was happening is now cancelled (thumbs up), here is that recipe you asked for, don't use a round tin, use a square tin (thumbs up).

I know I can do what the hell I want and give thumbs up all over the place but I'm just curious if it's a generational thing? Do younger/older people feel like a thumbs up is dismissive?

IABU - thumbs up emoji is so rude, everyone you have sent it to hates you

IANBU - thumbs up for everything

I love the thumbs up (age 50).

I'm 45.....we need more data!

I definitely think it's a generational thing. I asked my uni aged daughter and for their friends it's seen as "dismissive and you couldn't be bothered to answer me properly". Whereas for me I think it's an efficient way of letting you know I have seen your message and I don't have anything to add to it. There's a whole "code" of unspoken understanding behind different emojis and things like putting a heart in response to text chats that " the Boomers" as my daughter calls our generation ( I'm in my early 50s) that we just don't know about.

I only use it to reply to people who I don’t spend personal time with. It is a heart from me ❤️ or 🧐.

Oh dear. I use hearts as well. I do generally only message people of a similar age so hopefully we're all on the same emoji page!

There doesn't seem to be a poll option for...

What the hell are you doing using emojis at all? What are you - fourteen?

I was quite surprised about it too and I felt like I had to analyse all my interactions, especially when messaging her friends. As I didn't want to give offence or anything I wasn't intending to do or come off as being passive aggressive. I think that you will be fine messaging people who are of a similar age to yourself. You can thumbs up or heart me to your hearts content 😂

" the Boomers" as my daughter calls our generation ( I'm in my early 50s)

Id have to have words about that. Gen X, thank you very much. Boomers are my parents' generation.

40s and all my friends use as you describe. I've heard the thing about young people not using it, but they certainly use it at work to acknowledge something. To me at least. Maybe they don't to each other! Perhaps they are formal language for your manager now. 😉

Obviously if my daughter messaged to say she'd got a first for her degree or whatever a thumbs up emoji, while technically communicating my positive view, would not be appropriate. But for, I checked the numbers and they match now it's fine. I think there comes a point where people are looking for offence when none is meant.

I use it a lot. Thinking about it, I don’t think my kids ever do. They also say ‘OK Boomer’ to us all the time, even though we’re not.

I would never use a heart, that makes me cringe. My niece sent me this nonsense the other day 🫶, and I’m still feeling queasy.

65…… Only ever use thumbs up in a sarcastic way. It’s <3 all the way for me.

For me it means "yes, understood, we can stop texting now" and I use it all the time. I think that younger generations sometimes have an issue with people saying that they don't want to talk.

I find it really dismissive, I'm 48!

Never mind the thumbs up - most of you are scaring younger generations with your (whisper it )full stops!

I use thumbs up all the time, as do my work colleagues on teams chat. To us it's a 'yep, acknowledged that'. I'm 49.

I was taken aback and said that it wasn't factually correct!

Seems like everyone is called a boomer now because its said with offence, its just an insult

Perhaps these people that find offence in the thumbs up, need a new emoji which means 'roger, over'.

It’s fine as an acknowledgment to a benign piece of information. To something a bit more significant or conversational, particularly in the middle of a conversation, it can seem dismissive, like a conversation ender. Basically, context matters. 46 year old gen-xer

I just send “ok” and not an emoji. I’ve been told that’s passive aggressive.

To be fair, when I send it, I’m often hoping they will stop sending messages and bugger off. Can’t be doing with it.

I like the idea of a 'Roger, over' emoji....

@TheatreTraveller I was very tempted to 👍 your post....😬😂

@FinallyHere the <3 takes me back!

@NeededANameChangeAnyway

i didn’t dare to hope anyone would remember those days.

I'm 45 and use it all the time. It means the same to me as you've described. The under 30s at work were of the opinion that it's rude or dismissive. I've explained to them that it's not and that I'll be continuing to use it (as has their supervisor) 😂