Credit: Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Even over text, I can spot some of the signs that my partner is mad at me. I might not know if I’ve said or done something wrong right away, and then I send a message to which I might expect an effusive response. What do I get instead? A thumbs-up emoji. That’s when I know I’m in trouble.
As a millennial who grew up watching the evolution of messaging, I’ve noticed this shift in the meaning of the once-reliable thumbs-up emoji. It was once one of the few go-to emojis — an easy way to acknowledge a message without too much effort. But I tend to avoid it these days, and it’s not just me.