The sign might be intended as positive, but Gen Zers have a different opinion

Gen Zers are begging people to stop using the thumbs up emoji with the argument it’s actually ‘passive aggressive’.

What do you think is the most passive aggressive emoji?

Personally I’d say it’s the classic smiley face – with the various iterations of even bigger smiles now, that one has just taken on more of a sarcastic edge. :).

It’s worth bearing in mind that I’m a Millennial though, so I might think differently if I was born just a few years later.

The belief that Gen Zers – those born in the late ’90s and early ’00s – consider the thumbs up to be passive aggressive has come to light through a post on Reddit which described the icon as ‘unsettling’.

In the post, the Reddit user explained that they had started work in an ‘adult’ job where staff often communicated through Microsoft Teams.

The post, which was shared a couple of years ago, continued: “Currently, there’s 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.”

Does the thumbs up emoji incite fear in you? (Getty Stock Image)

“I don’t use it much,” the Redditor continued. “I either ‘heart’ reactions or reply even if it’s a short ‘Great!’ or ‘Thanks!’

“Anyway, I think it’s normal for people to ‘thumbs up’ messages, but I still feel like it’s such an unsettling response. Does anyone else feel this way?”

After sharing their thoughts, the Reddit user was flooded with responses to assure them they were not alone in feeling a little unnerved by the thumbs up.

Where to some it might be a sign of positivity, a job well done or even a simple acknowledgement that all’s good, for others it’s the last thing they want to see.

One younger worker said they didn’t feel ‘adult’ enough to use the emoji. (Reddit)

Replying to the post, one person wrote: “For younger people, the thumbs-up emoji is used to be really passive-aggressive. It’s super rude if someone just sends you a thumbs up. So I also had a weird time adjusting because my workplace is the same.”

Another commented: “It probably feels unsettling because it’s impersonal, and based just off this post, you seem like the kind of person who prefers more genuine interactions with others.”

The conversation continued on X, where more and more people agreed.

“Look I don’t make the rules but the thumbs up emoji is passive aggressive. Idk why, it’s bad vibes,” one said.

So the next time you think about hitting someone with a thumbs up, maybe think twice about how they might receive it.