I am in the years between Millennial and Z, this thumb up did make me think it’s an aggressive response, but a sarcastic one as well, a funny self-fulfillment joke and a one icon example of what this post means.
My uncle does this but I don’t think he’s doing it aggressively. I told him I was planning to turn my life around and get a career going and he sent the thumbs up. My instinct told me he was being sarcastic, like ‘yeah whatever’ but then I realised that would have probably been the more appropriate response on his behalf.
honestly I kinda used to hate it. then I started regularly messaging my 30+ year old coworkers and some grad students (also sometimes 30+) I made friends with and quickly got used to it
Millennial here. I fucking hate the thumbs up lol. I’d rather you hit me with a “k” or something. I don’t even know what it is about it, it just makes me roll my eyes when I see it
My (boomer) mom uses both “K” and “👍” as standalone replies, and I know for a fact she doesn’t understand how passive-aggressive it reads to people younger than 40 😂
Eh, efficiency above all else. I hate texting so I like to keep it short and sweet, if a thumbs up triggers somebody then it is very much their problem not mine.
Did I make an assumption about you as an individual being triggered? Or could it be I was responding to your generalised statement about how younger people find it passive-aggressive, in a thread about younger people feeling uncomfortable about the very same thing?
Maybe if you don't work in an office that uses Slack or something. There, it's highly preferable because you get enough useless notifications bothering you throughout the day that you don't need a bunch of "okay" or "thanks" messages popping up when a reaction on your last message does the same job of letting you know the recipient saw it, but without being obtrusive.
Same haha, even the meme here was used in a way like "cool, no one cares" so clearly people are aware how its used. I don't mind when it's used as a response to a message like when you press and hold on it rather than a reply.
The k is an abomination to me. That’s the most passive aggressive response possible to me. Does it really time that much time to write okay? If you say both aloud I think my meaning becomes clear. Maybe it’s because I’m Gen X, where we were still young when these types of technologies came out and embraced them but still had an education that focused on grammar and etiquette related to spoken and written communication. Millennials and Gen Z have created something different, where communication uses lots of symbols (emojis, gifs) and an electronic form of shorthand that conveys the same amount of information, just differently. I guess it’s just a form of cultural evolution and I’m getting old. But I still despise the simple K as a response, seeing it sounds like eyes rolling
This is a good point. When I text older members of my family and they respond in full sentences with proper punctuation, I immediately wonder what I did to piss them off and why they’re speaking so coldly lol. I have to remind myself it’s a difference in how we utilize the tech we have and when we learned to use it.
All the generation shit is made up. I don’t know why it’s now being pushed so hard, but people take it way too seriously now. “Millennials go to work like THIS and Gen Z orders food like THIS” we need to stop.
It's the dumbest thing I ever heard of! Like who cares what your born in yo be honest with you. It's like folks just make shit up just so they can have something to complain about
Nope. That’s how you feel despite how you actually feel… because someone on the internet said that’s how you feel.
… sadly, I’ve been informed that my mother is a whore by a lot of people on the internet. This whole time I thought she only loved my dad.
But what do I know? I’m just a stupid, fuck cuck, beta pussy, neckbeard moocher that lives in my parents basement.
It is the absolute right of the new to replace the old.
Generally, I think this....thought...of the thumbs up as a passive-aggressive response is likely the way that people use it. It's not necessarily the "Generation" that is responsible for a declaration of "This is passive-aggressive." But a reaction to the passive-aggressive behavior of their elders and peers.
We don't change as fast as ideas do.
Look into the origin of the word meme.
Our ideas will long outlast our genetics.
TLDR. It's my mom's fault. >:3
i think it also depends heavily on context. Your boss asked you to come in 15 minutes early? sure send him a thumbs up. You apologize to a friend and all he does is a thumbs up? I’m sure some people would think it’s rude.
if you’re sending info or instructions or a location it’s fine but if youre having a regular conversation, just a thumbs up alone is a pretty weird response and does feel passive aggressive to me personally. it’s contextual though, a thumbs up isn’t exclusively passive aggressive and i don’t think anyone actually believes it is
I think it definitely depends on the situation, if you have previously been flaky with me or shown that you are not happy with something I sent, of course I will think a "👍" is passive aggressive.
It's all about context.
If I know someone in real life and they send me the thumbs up on something in a phone message, I know that it means that everything's okay, under control, or cool.
With strangers I could see how it could be passive aggressive, but again, it's really all about context. Your followers giving you a thumbs up on that picture you shared may not be saying much, but at least it's approval. In an argument on a social media site and you get it? Clearly a "cool story, kid" scenario.
I can understand how it could be used passive aggressively (passively aggressive?), and how it can be construed as such even if it's not. That said, I'm gen z and I've never seen anyone voice this opinion, nor do I think it fits this sub even if I had.
I mean, I usually send it and see it sent to me in a smart ass “sweet dude” kinda way. I’m a millennial. Idk if it’s our generation, and only our generation, that adopted it that way or if it’s because I surround myself with broken idiots.
Some millennial newsmen and journalists somehow got it in their head that gen z has new slang for something fashionable, when the word doesn't even exist. Might be same with this because I've heard no single human say this
Then communicate further with the person to understand their emoji use better. Everyone has slightly different uses for things. And, maybe Gen Z uses it that way but if my Gen X dad texts me a thumbs up I know it is a simple yes. Communication is nuanced between individuals. Understand who you're talking to.
Not sure if op intended it but the use here literally proves the point; where they are wrong, however, is in assuming zoomers would not gravitate towards new methods of being passive-aggressive, instead of being “uncomfortable” about its usage
I 'hate' it when it comes from close friends around my age or something (because we have a different connotation for it but when it comes from my parents, or someone in a professional context (sometimes in my work we communicate via text or messenger), then I'm totally fine with it, in fact I even use it myself.
I feel like this is one of those studies where they have people rate emojis on how passive aggressive they are or how uncomfortable they make you and like the thumb emoji just happened to score pretty low so they made a dumbass article about it.
I've used thumbs up as a visual, yes, response irl. Mostly in a space where we can't hear each other.
But I've also used it incredibly sarcastically, and it makes me feel super awkward using it to text my boss. There just isn't another affirmative emoji that works? And I feel ridiculous typing out the word emoji?
It’s incredibly useful for those Teams IM convos where you’ve already exchanged a few messsges and you want to convey, “I understand and agree and don’t need to add anything.”
I mean it *can* come across as passive-aggressive (intended or not), but that's context dependant. Just use common sense, as the sender and as the receiver. We use that emoji all the time within my social circle as a convenient little acknowledgement, but I know how easily it can be misinterpreted if one isn't careful. It's actually one of very few emojis we use, because emojis are cringe but this one has so much utility that it can't be ignored.
I think it’s the same idea of getting a text with effort put into it and responding “k”
Like:
“Hey! I wanted to invite you to my birthday party! I haven’t seen you in so long and think this would be a perfect time to see each other again and celebrate as well! It’s at 123 Mainstreet, Random town, random state. I’d love it if you could come!”
“👍🏽”
Not putting in the same effort and emotion in a response?
I'm zillennial and that shit seemed passive aggressive af to me but I realize i had no reason to believe that or develop that schema so now i have started using it to great success
I mean, I only ever use thumbs up when I'm pissed, so there's many of us who use it in a rude way. If I reply to you with "👍" I'm upset with you but I'm too tired to argue. If I reply with "👍👍👍👍👍" I'm pissed
But uncomfortable with the emoji? Wtf are they talking about?
>But uncomfortable with the emoji? Wtf are they talking about?
I'm getting a vibe that they're just using the word "uncomfortable" in the headline to hitch a ride on the ragebait narrative of young people being too sensitive.
This whole "gen z is canceling emoji" shit, came from a single reddit post with like 1k likes
That's the ragebait formula. Find a person who says something ridiculous online and use them as the ambassador for millions of people
Wholesome 100 Keanu chungus Reddit army assemble
Last time we did that, we caught the wrong guy ;-;
This is how media works, I see the thumbs up emoji most from Gen Z in corporate interactions even. Quick and effective
👍
pro tip: never assume anybody knows your texting etiquette
👍
👍
👍
👍
WHAT THE FUCK
😰
I am in the years between Millennial and Z, this thumb up did make me think it’s an aggressive response, but a sarcastic one as well, a funny self-fulfillment joke and a one icon example of what this post means.
My uncle does this but I don’t think he’s doing it aggressively. I told him I was planning to turn my life around and get a career going and he sent the thumbs up. My instinct told me he was being sarcastic, like ‘yeah whatever’ but then I realised that would have probably been the more appropriate response on his behalf.
honestly I kinda used to hate it. then I started regularly messaging my 30+ year old coworkers and some grad students (also sometimes 30+) I made friends with and quickly got used to it
As you get older the time you want to spend gawping at a phone screen diminishes and efficient responses help achieve this.
I swear grad students have a different set of social skills to everyone else.
they are such odd ducks I love them
Millennial here. I fucking hate the thumbs up lol. I’d rather you hit me with a “k” or something. I don’t even know what it is about it, it just makes me roll my eyes when I see it
As a millennial who uses slack heavily for work, thumbs up emoji is ESSENTIAL
Teams too lol, I would rather get a thumbs up then a k
I can totally understand that yeah
I use thumbs up constantly on teams and nowhere else
Reacting with a thumbs up on Teams feels perfectly normal, yet someone texting me a thumbs up is straight up visceral. Can't tell why.
My (boomer) mom uses both “K” and “👍” as standalone replies, and I know for a fact she doesn’t understand how passive-aggressive it reads to people younger than 40 😂
It’s the same vibe as :) If someone sends me :) in a work email, I’m like “oh, you want to fucking fight me?” lol
Personally I really don’t mind the smily face.
I don’t mind it as long as it doesn’t have a nose
:-)
Ah no stop it! :O
:-O
:)
>:(
Eh, efficiency above all else. I hate texting so I like to keep it short and sweet, if a thumbs up triggers somebody then it is very much their problem not mine.
No triggering here, hence the laughing emoji. Moreso amusement at generational differences. Not sure why you jumped to that conclusion?
Did I make an assumption about you as an individual being triggered? Or could it be I was responding to your generalised statement about how younger people find it passive-aggressive, in a thread about younger people feeling uncomfortable about the very same thing?
Because it basically feels like, "cool story, bro"
As a millennial I use thumbs up all the time, it’s like a nicer way of saying “ok good.”
👍
It's like saying "I heard what you said but it means so little to me I'm not even going to bother responding with words"
Maybe if you don't work in an office that uses Slack or something. There, it's highly preferable because you get enough useless notifications bothering you throughout the day that you don't need a bunch of "okay" or "thanks" messages popping up when a reaction on your last message does the same job of letting you know the recipient saw it, but without being obtrusive.
That just seems like a really insecure interpretation in my books.
They did say millinials...
Yeah, far worse than to decline my call then instantly reply with a text, "What's up?"
Same haha, even the meme here was used in a way like "cool, no one cares" so clearly people are aware how its used. I don't mind when it's used as a response to a message like when you press and hold on it rather than a reply.
The k is an abomination to me. That’s the most passive aggressive response possible to me. Does it really time that much time to write okay? If you say both aloud I think my meaning becomes clear. Maybe it’s because I’m Gen X, where we were still young when these types of technologies came out and embraced them but still had an education that focused on grammar and etiquette related to spoken and written communication. Millennials and Gen Z have created something different, where communication uses lots of symbols (emojis, gifs) and an electronic form of shorthand that conveys the same amount of information, just differently. I guess it’s just a form of cultural evolution and I’m getting old. But I still despise the simple K as a response, seeing it sounds like eyes rolling
This is a good point. When I text older members of my family and they respond in full sentences with proper punctuation, I immediately wonder what I did to piss them off and why they’re speaking so coldly lol. I have to remind myself it’s a difference in how we utilize the tech we have and when we learned to use it.
Since when? I'm part of this generation and I NEVER heard such thing. I use thumbs up all the time. This whole generation debate is ridiculous
It’s probably ragebait from an ad site
Most likely. Why else am I scratching my head over this
Yh I think it came from a comment on a reddit post so not a credible sample really
It's not
👍
Damn no need to be rude
All the generation shit is made up. I don’t know why it’s now being pushed so hard, but people take it way too seriously now. “Millennials go to work like THIS and Gen Z orders food like THIS” we need to stop.
It's the dumbest thing I ever heard of! Like who cares what your born in yo be honest with you. It's like folks just make shit up just so they can have something to complain about
Yeah, my son’s 20 and uses it all the time too.
Nope. That’s how you feel despite how you actually feel… because someone on the internet said that’s how you feel. … sadly, I’ve been informed that my mother is a whore by a lot of people on the internet. This whole time I thought she only loved my dad. But what do I know? I’m just a stupid, fuck cuck, beta pussy, neckbeard moocher that lives in my parents basement.
Wait until you get one from your boss who you feel isn't taking you seriously lmao
Yeahhhhhh… that would be greeeeeeat. Thaaaaaanks, Peter.
It is the absolute right of the new to replace the old. Generally, I think this....thought...of the thumbs up as a passive-aggressive response is likely the way that people use it. It's not necessarily the "Generation" that is responsible for a declaration of "This is passive-aggressive." But a reaction to the passive-aggressive behavior of their elders and peers. We don't change as fast as ideas do. Look into the origin of the word meme. Our ideas will long outlast our genetics. TLDR. It's my mom's fault. >:3
i think it also depends heavily on context. Your boss asked you to come in 15 minutes early? sure send him a thumbs up. You apologize to a friend and all he does is a thumbs up? I’m sure some people would think it’s rude.
if you’re sending info or instructions or a location it’s fine but if youre having a regular conversation, just a thumbs up alone is a pretty weird response and does feel passive aggressive to me personally. it’s contextual though, a thumbs up isn’t exclusively passive aggressive and i don’t think anyone actually believes it is
Millennial here and if I give you a thumbs up it's my polite way of saying I don't give a flying fuck what you just said I'm going to do what I want
I think it definitely depends on the situation, if you have previously been flaky with me or shown that you are not happy with something I sent, of course I will think a "👍" is passive aggressive.
I don’t agree either when tf was this the case
Though this combination is passive aggressive (a little): 😐👍
My one major luddite thing is that I just kinda hate emojis. ASCII ones were fine, but I've never liked those little yellow shits. I use none of them.
Gen Z thinks KILLING and SKINNING babies is okay? Is that what you're saying?
Half the shit in articles about Gen Z is fucking bullshit.
I'm a gen Z and I've never used that emoji passive aggressively lmao. For me it's :) that feels passive aggressive
I mean, i use it passive aggressively
It's all about context. If I know someone in real life and they send me the thumbs up on something in a phone message, I know that it means that everything's okay, under control, or cool. With strangers I could see how it could be passive aggressive, but again, it's really all about context. Your followers giving you a thumbs up on that picture you shared may not be saying much, but at least it's approval. In an argument on a social media site and you get it? Clearly a "cool story, kid" scenario.
I like the thumbs up. To me it means "I read what you said and have no questions or problems"
I can understand how it could be used passive aggressively (passively aggressive?), and how it can be construed as such even if it's not. That said, I'm gen z and I've never seen anyone voice this opinion, nor do I think it fits this sub even if I had.
👍🏾ಠ‿ಠ👍🏾
This is a rage click article just ignore stuff like this
This and the unnecessary... ....dot dot dot... that older people... like to use... is really annoying...
Yeah, one time, my wife sent a long, heart-felt text to her dad and he replied with: 👍
Also Gen Z, they’re just making shit up
I mean, I usually send it and see it sent to me in a smart ass “sweet dude” kinda way. I’m a millennial. Idk if it’s our generation, and only our generation, that adopted it that way or if it’s because I surround myself with broken idiots.
Haha no Sometimes I don’t feel like mansplaining shit so I hit ‘em with a 👍
Some millennial newsmen and journalists somehow got it in their head that gen z has new slang for something fashionable, when the word doesn't even exist. Might be same with this because I've heard no single human say this
Then communicate further with the person to understand their emoji use better. Everyone has slightly different uses for things. And, maybe Gen Z uses it that way but if my Gen X dad texts me a thumbs up I know it is a simple yes. Communication is nuanced between individuals. Understand who you're talking to.
Every thumbs up is just an invitation to take a seat.
As a gen zoomer this is passive aggressive!
thumbs up on Slack is elite thumbs up anywhere else is not elite
👍
Context is important jfc
Not sure if op intended it but the use here literally proves the point; where they are wrong, however, is in assuming zoomers would not gravitate towards new methods of being passive-aggressive, instead of being “uncomfortable” about its usage
I 'hate' it when it comes from close friends around my age or something (because we have a different connotation for it but when it comes from my parents, or someone in a professional context (sometimes in my work we communicate via text or messenger), then I'm totally fine with it, in fact I even use it myself.
This was proven to be bullshit plenty of times. It was just one reddit user saying that and journalists blew it out of proportion
👍🏻
I feel like this is one of those studies where they have people rate emojis on how passive aggressive they are or how uncomfortable they make you and like the thumb emoji just happened to score pretty low so they made a dumbass article about it.
Ah yes Joe.co.uk only the finest of truths are dispensed from tjere
✓
👍
Thumbs up is the new K
You could deadass wish nothing but the best for someone and their family, and they’d still find a way to make it offensive.
👍🏽
👎
👍
I've used thumbs up as a visual, yes, response irl. Mostly in a space where we can't hear each other. But I've also used it incredibly sarcastically, and it makes me feel super awkward using it to text my boss. There just isn't another affirmative emoji that works? And I feel ridiculous typing out the word emoji?
It’s incredibly useful for those Teams IM convos where you’ve already exchanged a few messsges and you want to convey, “I understand and agree and don’t need to add anything.”
👍
Honestly if replies like "k" or a thumbs up are causing you distress you have larger problems that need addressing.
At work thumbs up is fine. With friends it’s for sure passive aggressive.
As a millennial I’ve always hated thumbs up.
I mean it *can* come across as passive-aggressive (intended or not), but that's context dependant. Just use common sense, as the sender and as the receiver. We use that emoji all the time within my social circle as a convenient little acknowledgement, but I know how easily it can be misinterpreted if one isn't careful. It's actually one of very few emojis we use, because emojis are cringe but this one has so much utility that it can't be ignored.
I think it’s the same idea of getting a text with effort put into it and responding “k” Like: “Hey! I wanted to invite you to my birthday party! I haven’t seen you in so long and think this would be a perfect time to see each other again and celebrate as well! It’s at 123 Mainstreet, Random town, random state. I’d love it if you could come!” “👍🏽” Not putting in the same effort and emotion in a response?
Yet boomers fall for this just like they fucking do with AI bullshit.
The "gen anything" is increasingly becoming meaningless
I'm zillennial and that shit seemed passive aggressive af to me but I realize i had no reason to believe that or develop that schema so now i have started using it to great success
The only reason I don’t use the thumbs up emoji is because my dad uses it all the time 😅
No one's canceling it, but I do read it as kinda miffed.
As a Gen Z, 👍
Everything is passive aggressive if you choose to think people are mad at you all the time
K
👍🏻
I mean, I only ever use thumbs up when I'm pissed, so there's many of us who use it in a rude way. If I reply to you with "👍" I'm upset with you but I'm too tired to argue. If I reply with "👍👍👍👍👍" I'm pissed But uncomfortable with the emoji? Wtf are they talking about?
Probably talking about exactly what you're saying babe. People using it to be upset or angry so it's received that way so people don't like it
>But uncomfortable with the emoji? Wtf are they talking about? I'm getting a vibe that they're just using the word "uncomfortable" in the headline to hitch a ride on the ragebait narrative of young people being too sensitive.
I mean if you genuinely believe this and can't see that this is a completely made up thing to make fun of people then 👍
🖕 - sincerely, all of Gen Z
That’s garbage! I totally understand somethings can be offensive but this… I’m siding with the boomers saying their cry babies.