Why you should never use the thumbs up emoji – new meaning sends a very different message

A TIKTOK user shared some helpful tips with millennials who use emojis when texting, including which ones they should never send.

The insightful information was shared by user @genwhyscarlett in a 1-minute long video on TikTok earlier this year.

One TikToker shared several new emoji meanings, as designated by Gen Z

In the video, Scarlett disclosed that she is a 30-year-old college student living in the dorms with predominantly Gen Z students.

She then went on to reveal the new meanings behind some of the most popular emojis, according to the younger generation.

“The following emojis don’t mean what I thought they mean,” Scarlett said in the video.

She kicked the list off with the ‘thumbs up’ emoji, which is typically used to communicate assent, approval, or encouragement. 

The TikTok creator explained: “This is apparently very passive-aggressive these days”.

“So if you get this, be insulted immediately,” she added as she pointed to the emoji on her screen while smiling.

The TikToker then addressed several other emojis, such as the teary-eyed emoji, which “for some godforsaken reason either means innocent or horny,” according to Scarlett.

She also noted that the sideways face emoji that is sticking its tongue out with one eye larger than the other still means “silly,” while the upside-down face emoji now represents the phrase “F**k my life.”

The TikTok post has gone viral since going live at the end of January, amassing more than 900,000 likes and thousands of comments.

“This is unfortunate because I use the thumbs up emoji at work all the time,” one user wrote.

“I use the thumbs up nonpassive aggressively, so uh maybe I need to go apologize to some people,” a second TikTok user added.

“OMG! Thank you for the Ted Talk, this was very informative,” a third TikToker wrote.

According to one TikToker, emojis have taken on several new meanings for the younger generation

In other news, the creators of a chilling new horror game say that the title is so disturbing they’ve been forced to censor it on PlayStation.

Apple has announced updates to AirTags following claims that the coin-sized tracking devices are being used to stalk people.

And TikTok has announced new rules, banning users who deadname or misgender others.