Apparently, Gen Z views the smiley face emoji as both “passive-aggressive” and “sinister.”
Looks like using emojis has become a bit of a minefield.
From the surprising truths behind the meaning of the “cute eyes” emoji to the unsettling news that the thumbs-up symbol isn’t as universally positive as we once believed, it seems that adding a little picture to your message can easily lead to misunderstandings.
The latest emoji shocker? Gen Z now finds the smiley face icon offensive—and the internet is completely baffled.
It seems the controversy over the smiley face emoji is just another example of the growing generational divide.
Millennials don’t seem to have an issue with adding a smile to their texts.
Donna Scott, 38, tells The Independent: “I’ve always seen it as a way to show that what I’m saying is meant in a happy, positive context, especially since tone can easily get lost in text.”
“I don’t really understand how it could be seen as passive-aggressive. There are plenty of other emojis better suited for that, like the raised eyebrow emoji.
It honestly shocked me to hear that it’s interpreted that way.”
Scott hopes people focus on the true intention behind the emojis she sends, rather than any “new meaning” that may have emerged.
Riika Heinaaho, 29, shares a similar perspective: “If you’re emailing someone with a lot of critiques and want to soften the tone, sometimes a smiley can help with that.”
However, these views aren’t shared by Gen Z.
Hafeezat Bishi, a 21-year-old intern in the US, tells The Wall Street Journal that she sees the smiley as “dismissive” and reads it as a “side-eye smile.”
“I had to remind myself that my colleagues are older, because I use it sarcastically,” she comments.
Ellie York, 23, says there’s definitely a more “sinister, passive-aggressive or sarcastic” side to the smiley face.
“I think it’s the eyes. It has that ‘oh really?’ expression,” she explains. “People my age who use emojis typically send it in a sarcastic or ironic way, not as a genuine happy response.”
The smiley face is described as a “slight smiling face” by the social media management company Later, which adds that it conveys “a simple and gentle smile, portraying subtle happiness.”
The Sun adds that the smiley face is often used “at the end of a professional message to keep things good-natured and positive.” However, the outlet notes that some people may use it with a “sarcastic, ironic, or patronizing tone.”
So, it seems it all comes down to interpretation—and who you’re sending the emoji to!
