Art, obsession, and identity
Of the top 10 emojis that Gen Z would not appreciate, the grimacing face comes in last place, with 9% voting that it was cringey (and probably warranting real-life grimaces).
Instead, you can pick an emoji that shows a little more stake in the information presented. Whereas the grimace shows that you’re cringing from a distance, a sadder emoji with a little sweat shows a bit more empathy for the situation. If you really want to show you’re uncomfortable, though, try using the woozy face.
A famous image printed across all sorts of signs, shirts, mugs, pillows, and whatever else you can dream of, the lipstick kiss mark earned a 10% vote of cringe.
The heart face emoji is popular among younger people because it’s not so rooted in a clichéd sexual symbol such as the lipstick kiss, plus it shows that you feel loved. You can always go for the kissy face blowing a heart if you want it to be more sexual!
Since the grimace can be read in many ways, and is largely not contributive to the conversation, a better option is to express your actual thoughts. Is it more of a “That’s so strange,” or an “I hope you’re okay”?
Perhaps since this emoji could come off as a slow, sarcastic clap, this seemingly encouraging icon got a 10% disapproval rate.
While it may seem playful and sweet to use an emoji of a monkey covering its eyes, which has been singled out against the monkey covering its mouth and the monkey covering its ears, 15% of Gen Z finds it cringey.
Congratulating someone and explicitly detailing what you appreciate, or adding a complementary response to their idea, will always be more memorable than a mere emoji.
If you want to express that something made you giggle or feel embarrassed, be more explicit with the hand-over-mouth giggling emoji. If the emotion is more of an "oh no," then go for the peeking through fingers emoji.
This emoji is often used for laughing more than sadness, which might be why it’s on this list, with 16% of the Gen Z study finding it cringey when people use it.
Instead of risking being misunderstood through the many interpretations of what a kiss emoji could mean, it’s probably a good idea to make it clear through text. After all, the replacements could range from "Sending you a sexy kiss," to "Talk later," depending on how casual kisses are used in your culture or country.
This one’s just a bit bland and vague, and earned 17% cringe rate. Did you finish a task someone asked of you? Are you agreeing with someone? Are you giving your own approval?
Since there are a range of interpretations around the monkey covering its eyes, it might benefit you to be more specific. If you’re intending to say that you can’t watch as someone says they’re setting out to do something, for example, that’s a bit more of a reach and is better expressed through plainly saying so.
The trash emoji can serve the same ends of both personal expression and trash talk about others with the added bonus of avoiding bringing feces into the conversation.
If you’re using this emoji to fill in "I feel like ___" or "This person is full of ___," young people probably think you're old. A reported 17% of Gen Z would roll their eyes upon seeing it.
Also popular among young people for laughing responses is the skull emoji, which is directly tied to their tendency to say "I’m dead" when they find something hilarious—some take it a step further and use the coffin emoji. But if you’re actually trying to express anguish, the weary face does it best.
If you need to talk poorly about a situation, there's no greater burn than one with specificity. If you're talking about your feelings, give a little more backstory—are you sick, hungover, on your period? Your loved ones want to know!
Spice it up a bit and go for the fire emoji if you’re giving someone your approval, as it feels much less passive than simply letting them know you've seen their message.
Add a little humor and take out the impression of passive aggressiveness with the saluting emoji. After all, there's a reason why it’s used to confirm understanding in the military as opposed to putting up an OK hand sign.
Sad news for the lovers of love, but not all love is cool! In fact, 22% of Gen Zers said the innocent red heart is cringeworthy.
Getting deeper into passive aggressive territory, this one feels like it could be sarcastic and has earned a 20% disapproval rate.
The love letter emoji is a more creative take as it plays on the actual message of love you’re sending, but you could arguably use any other color of heart as well since Gen Z specified it was the red that was most offensive.
At 24%, the thumbs up was voted the single uncoolest emoji by people aged 16-29, as they found it to be passive aggressive and even confrontational.
Since the tick is quite vague, why not spell it out? "I’ve completed it," or "Great job," or "I hear you" could all work.
You should never use an emoji to substitute for "I love you," but some people use the heart as a way to express support for others or ideas, and a quick comment like "I love this" or "Thank you for sharing" can go a long way.
Safer emojis might include the handshake, which is a stronger affirmative that doesn't just signal that you saw something but takes it a step further to agree with the message.
If you want to celebrate someone, go for a raising hands emoji, or even a champagne popping emoji. If you mean it to be sarcastic, however, an eye roll emoji works best.
While older generations find it a quick and easy response, Gen Z apparently thinks thumbs up shouldn’t be used at all, so instead of finding a replacement emoji, it might be best to just stick to words. Are you trying to say that you like an idea, or that you’ve seen the message and will get back to it soon? Just say so.
Sources: (Daily Mail)
The difference between laughing and crying might be hard to distinguish if you’re using emojis, so if it’s really that emotionally charged, you could say "Oh no!" or "Hahaha" (never "haha," as Gen Z also finds that off-putting).
A simple "Okay, sounds good" can clear up any misinterpretations of tone or subtext.
The emoji has soared in popularity over the years, becoming common practice in both casual and professional conversation. But while the very fact of using them might seem young and trendy as compared to what Shakespeare was working with, it can actually be aging you up depending on which ones you're using.
A study of 2,000 young people aged between 16 and 29 looked at which cringeworthy emojis are considered "middle-aged" and made Gen Z roll their eyes. But it's not just Gen Z who agrees. Business consultant Sue Ellson says it could be time to take the younger generation's lead when it comes to using symbols, the Daily Mail reports, though she also believes they'll never trump words, as so much can get lost in translation.
Click through to see the top 10 emojis that make you look old, followed by their better emoji replacements, as well as text options you can send instead so that you can avoid all the confusion and keep people guessing as to how old you really are.
Cringeworthy emojis that are considered "middle-aged"
Click through to see the top 10 emojis that make you look old
LIFESTYLE Communication
The emoji has soared in popularity over the years, becoming common practice in both casual and professional conversation. But while the very fact of using them might seem young and trendy as compared to what Shakespeare was working with, it can actually be aging you up depending on which ones you're using.
A study of 2,000 young people aged between 16 and 29 looked at which cringeworthy emojis are considered "middle-aged" and made Gen Z roll their eyes. But it's not just Gen Z who agrees. Business consultant Sue Ellson says it could be time to take the younger generation's lead when it comes to using symbols, the Daily Mail reports, though she also believes they'll never trump words, as so much can get lost in translation.
Click through to see the top 10 emojis that make you look old, followed by their better emoji replacements, as well as text options you can send instead so that you can avoid all the confusion and keep people guessing as to how old you really are.