et’s talk about something that’s been causing a bit of a ruckus in the digital world. Apparently, the thumbs-up emoji is now considered a passive-aggressive response by Gen Z.

Yes, you read that right. The emoji that has been used for years to convey simple approval, agreement, or a general “Cool, got it!” vibe is now being treated like a coded insult.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for sensitivity and understanding the nuances in a communication. But when did we start over-analysing everything down to an innocent little emoji? I mean, it’s just a thumbs-up. There’s no reason generally to suspect a hidden meaning or secret message. It’s literally a tiny hand giving you a digital pat on the back. What’s passive-aggressive about that?

Let’s get into the mind of Gen Z for a moment. These young folks — bless their hearts — seem to feel everything way too much. I’m not saying they’re overly sensitive (okay, maybe I am), but there’s a tendency to interpret things through an emotional lens that often distorts the message. Suddenly, a simple thumbs-up emoji is a weapon of passive-aggressive warfare.

How did we get here?

Maybe it’s because Gen Z grew up in a world where digital communication is king. They’ve never known life without social media, where every word, every emoji and every like is dissected for hidden meanings. It’s as if they’ve been trained to assume that everything carries some deep, potentially sinister undertone. But let me tell you something: not everything is deep. Sometimes, a thumbs-up is just a thumbs-up.

I remember the good old days when a thumbs-up meant “Hey, good job!” or “I’m on board with that.” It was simple, straightforward, and didn’t require a psychological evaluation. But now, Gen Z is out here treating it like it’s the ultimate brush-off, the digital equivalent of rolling your eyes and saying, “Whatever!”

It’s okay to have feelings, but not everything needs to be felt intensely. Life is complicated enough without turning every emoji into a battleground.

And don’t even get me started on the overuse of the word “triggered.” Gen Z seems to be triggered by everything — thumbs-up emojis, the wrong tone of voice in a text message, even the mere existence of a punctuation mark. I mean, what’s next? Are we going to start reading too much into the smiley-face emoji? “Oh no, they sent a smiley with a nose — clearly, they’re being sarcastic!”

Emojis are a form of communication. Like all forms of communication, they can be misinterpreted. But can we all just take a deep breath and stop turning everything into a crisis? Sometimes, the simplest explanation is the right one. If someone sends you a thumbs-up, they’re probably just saying “Okay” or “Sounds good.” They’re not plotting your emotional demise.

It’s okay to have feelings, but not everything needs to be felt intensely. Life is complicated enough without turning every emoji into a battleground. So, to all the Gen Z folks out there: the next time someone sends you a thumbs-up emoji, take it at face value. They’re not being passive-aggressive; they’re just agreeing with you. Or maybe they’re just busy and don’t have time to type out a whole message. Either way, it’s not very deep.

Let’s agree to stop over-analysing our emojis and enjoy them for what they are — fun little digital gestures that make our texts a bit more colourful. Because, honestly, we have bigger things to worry about than whether a thumbs-up emoji is secretly throwing shade.

If you agree with that, go ahead and give me a thumbs-up. I promise I won’t take it the wrong way.

Sara Danial is the head of content at a communications agency