As per usual, Gen Z has been accused of finding something new to cancel. The demographic — generally agreed upon as those who were born between the years of 1997 and 2012 — have deemed everything from skinny jeans to the parting of one’s hair uncool. Their latest victim? Emojis.
But why cancel something as seemingly innocent as emojis? Not every emoji is deemed “cancellable” but a supposed recent survey by Perspectus Global reported that certain emojis were more likely than others to set off Gen Z. The research team surveyed 2,000 young people between the ages of 16 and 29 on their emoji usage and found that the majority of Gen Z agreed that they used emojis differently from other age groups.
Which emojis are cancelled?
As we previously reported, Gen Z has decided to cancel the thumbs up emoji. According to a Reddit thread, many people entering the workforce find the commonly used emoji “unsettling” and generally “passive aggressive.” Some even find the use of any emojis in the workplace rude; in an interview with the New York Post, a 25-year-old social worker says responding with an emoji to a typed-out message is the “bare minimum” and Elaine Swann, a lifestyle and etiquette coach, advises workers to avoid emojis entirely in professional situations. In her opinion, they “can be interpreted as disrespectful” and emoji meanings “can differ from generation to generation.” And apparently, nearly half of emoji users have sent emojis that were taken out of context or similarly misinterpreted. However, it’s unlikely that emojis will completely disappear from the workplace as 71 percent of U.S. emoji users report they use emojis in work-related conversations.
According to the survey, these ten emojis are the ones Gen Z most wants to cancel:
- Thumbs up 👍
- Red heart ❤️
- OK hand 👌
- Checkmark ✅
- Poo 💩
- Loudly crying face 😭
- See-no-evil monkey 🙈
- Clapping hands 👏
- Kiss mark 💋
- Grimacing face 😬
Can I still use these emojis?
If you use these emojis and don’t find them cringe, don’t worry: even Gen Z isn’t in complete agreement on emoji meanings. Some believe the red heart emoji is a sweet gesture while others think its usage makes people look old. And while Gen Z was the generation most confident in their understanding of emoji meanings (93 percent believe they’re completely up to date on emoji meanings), they’re also more likely to use emojis differently than their intended usage.
Remember: no generation is a monolith and if you use these emojis happily, Gen Z will not cancel you (probably). Emojis, like all language, evolve in meaning over time and we’re sure that what’s deemed inappropriate by some will be loved by others. In a post-Covid world, emojis are more important than ever in our online communications and we’re sure to find new ways to use them in the future.