AKA_Copper Posted Thursday at 11:36 PM The thumbs-up emoji is the conversational equivalent of that nod you give someone from across the street. You know the one. The “I recognise you but I absolutely will not stop walking” nod. Actually, it’s worse. It’s the awkward supermarket nod, the one you do when you’ve already seen the same person in every aisle, and now you’re both pretending the cereal section is neutral territory. . You send a message. Maybe you’re continuing a conversation from the day prior. Maybe you answered a question. Maybe you exposed a tiny piece of your soul. You hit send. And then:👍 That’s it. No words. No punctuation. Just a floating digital thumb staring directly into your psyche. Judging you. . Now you’re frozen, staring at your phone like it just blinked first in a psychological standoff. What does that mean? “I agree.” “I’m busy, I’ll get back to you later.” “I’m bored of you.” “I hate you, but in a chill, ‘I’m not starting an argument’ way.” Did they even read the message? Or did their phone auto-send the emoji while it was sliding into the couch cushions like, “Eh. Close enough.” . We’ll never know, because that damn thumb always takes the Fifth. That thumb has opinions it refuses to share. It’s the emoji version of “noted,” which everyone knows actually means, “I will now do absolutely nothing and forget this forever. . The thumbs up emoji is aggressively neutral. It’s the text equivalent of someone slowly backing away while maintaining eye contact. And worse, it’s completely context-free. The 👍 has no tone. It’s just a tiny hand saying, “Interpret me however you want. That’s your problem now.” It's not longer an emoji, it's now a threat. . Let's not forget about it's smug little posture. That thumb is not casual, nor relaxed. It’s upright. Confident. Assertive. Dominant just, not in the way I prefer. . The real insult though is its efficiency. The thumbs up takes zero effort. Zilch. One tap. No thinking. No vulnerability. Just a clean, sterile acknowledgment that says, “I could type words…but you are not worth the calories.” You typed with both hands. You cared. You felt things. They extended one digital finger like a Roman Emperor deciding your fate. And let’s be honest—at that point, it may as well have been this one: 🖕 . Receiving a 👍 instantly ends the conversation because there is no socially acceptable reply. You can’t send another message,that’s how you get blocked. You can’t thumbs up the thumbs up, that creates an infinite loop and opens a portal of floating thumbs that none of us are emotionally prepared to enter. . The thumbs-up emoji isn’t rude. It’s worse. It’s emotionally minimalist. It’s a social shutdown button. It’s closure without explanation. It’s what someone sends when they want to say, “I have received your words and chosen silence.” . In ancient times, a raised thumb decided your fate in the Colosseum. In modern times, it decides whether you’ll replay the conversation in your head for the next seven business days trying to figure out what happened 👍
PixieDust Posted Friday at 07:40 AM This is brilliant ❤️❤️❤️ If I could frame it, it would go straight to the "poolroom" as Darryl from "The Castle" would say
AKA_Copper Posted Friday at 08:16 AM Author 35 minutes ago, PixieDust said: This is brilliant ❤️❤️❤️ If I could frame it, it would go straight to the "poolroom" as Darryl from "The Castle" would say Right after they've been to Bonnie Doon?
Se**** Posted Friday at 09:23 AM Can’t comment on what it means to others when they send it but I have pulled people up in using it before - only if I feel VERY comfortable with them though. You are however completely right in what you say (obvs) - it creates a horrid, intentional or not, atmosphere that is difficult circumnavigate and a feeling of “where do we go from here?” I know for me that when I use it (and I do, and I’m giving away secrets now) it means that your words have hurt and I’m shutting down now so that you can’t hurt me more today. Silly, yes but often easier than acknowledging what has hurt and why. X
AKA_Copper Posted Friday at 09:26 AM Author 2 minutes ago, SerendipitousKeeper said: Can’t comment on what it means to others when they send it but I have pulled people up in using it before - only if I feel VERY comfortable with them though. You are however completely right in what you say (obvs) - it creates a horrid, intentional or not, atmosphere that is difficult circumnavigate and a feeling of “where do we go from here?” I know for me that when I use it (and I do, and I’m giving away secrets now) it means that your words have hurt and I’m shutting down now so that you can’t hurt me more today. Silly, yes but often easier than acknowledging what has hurt and why. X And on the flip side, I shut down when I see it
Se**** Posted Friday at 09:28 AM Just now, AKA_Copper said: And on the flip side, I shut down when I see it Oh me too. I hate seeing it. Maybe I do it to provide an element of the *** that someone has caused me - dammit, it’s too early for introspection x
Ar**** Posted Friday at 09:39 AM It's interesting reading the various perspectives, this has definitely given me food for thought. I completely agree that in the middle of a conversation the thumbs-up kills things off and isn't pleasant, but I'll admit I do use it (and have some people use it to me) semi-regularly when a conversation ends. Example, making plans to meet a friend in another city. We confirm arrangements, they or I might say "See you then", I might reply with the thumbs up and don't mind receiving it in that circumstance either. I've always interpreted it as a polite or swift and efficient acknowledgement/full stop when no more words were needed... but that might be the 'tism 🤣
OT**** Posted Friday at 01:54 PM In Greece 👍🏻 means ‘up your bum’. I suppose that context is everything, and how something is received can differ in a big way from how something is intended. And I’m curious: is it better to leave someone on read, or to leave a thumbs-up to acknowledge what they’ve said but that I will be replying to later?
Se**** Posted Friday at 02:09 PM 8 minutes ago, OTrainer said: In Greece 👍🏻 means ‘up your bum’. I suppose that context is everything, and how something is received can differ in a big way from how something is intended. And I’m curious: is it better to leave someone on read, or to leave a thumbs-up to acknowledge what they’ve said but that I will be replying to later? Never, ever good to be left on read, for me at least, I expect responses to messages in a timely manner - note, that doesn’t need to be immediate. My messages being read and (in my perception) ignored hurts and makes me feel small and unimportant and I’m a firm believer in “if they wanted to they would”. I think in a relationship there has to be an understanding between the two people as to what is acceptable and what isn’t. For me if someone is going to read my messages but doesn’t have time to reply then between us we need to work out how to manage that - be aware the 👍 emoji is not the way x
za**** Posted Friday at 04:56 PM Being left on read is the worse just tell me your not interested, wish we all had the common understanding
al**** Posted Friday at 05:44 PM Oh! I really did enjoy this post. Kudos to you! I agree with every word.
Js**** Posted Friday at 07:02 PM I try to never use it cause I look at it as an insult like goooood job d bag looong slow lingering 👍 *blech*. I knew there had to be others.
al**** Posted Friday at 07:15 PM My Master uses it a lot. It drives me batty. When I mention it he tells me to “Relax.” Glad others understand the annoyance of this emoji
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