There are many things that are deemed uncool in the unwritten code of Gen Z, so much so that it feels cheugy to even utter the words. But here goes: Skinny jeans have been replaced by cargo pants, millenial pink is out, Viva Magenta is in, and the ubiquitous avocado toast is officially considered bad for the environment — it’s all about smashed pea toast now, don’t you know?
Avoiding these outdated staples may help to protect you from mockery, but there is one thing you can do which gives away the game more than anything else, and you don’t even have to be in someone’s physical presence to do it. It’s using the wrong emoji.
At this point you might be thinking, “Honestly who cares if I’m using the wrong emoji? I’m too old for this.” But not only are some of these emojis so “out” that they’re genuinely embarrassing, some have also changed meaning, so you need to tread carefully in your use lest you become a social pariah, or worse, someone that seems like they could have feasibly watched The Emoji Movie in cinemas. Ew.
Here are all the ones you should firmly avoid now we’re reaching the end of 2022, and we’ve even added some helpful advice on the emojis which are considered safer bets when entering 2023. New year new you, or as Gen Z would say: “Not me giving Auld Lang Syne.”
Laughing emoji
Look, if this is the first you’re hearing of this, we’re already way behind. The cry laugh emoji is so popular among millennials and boomers that discussion around its disfavour made headlines last year — hell, it even made it to CNN. But it was considered cringe way before that, from perhaps as early as 2016. This is likely due to its overuse and popularity, because, well, you know young people: when in doubt, dunk on the mainsteam.
If you don’t want to seem past your years, consider using the skull emoji for a change. Gen Z use it instead of laughing emojis to denote how they’re “dead” at something someone has said or sent them, and they often use more than one skull emoji at once. Don’t send your Gen Z coworker 20 skull emojis everytime they make a joke though, as it might start giving off a slightly threatening aura.
The aubergine emoji
And, by extension, the peach. Used reliably for years to make sexy implications, these two are now being retired to make room for weirder, vaguer emojis that can allude to intercourse. Gen Z’s sexual lexicon (sexicon, if you will) has been warped by the TikTok algorithm as they attempt to circumvent its community guidelines, so it’s all got really obscure.
As a result, sex is now referred to as “seggs” or “secks”, a lesbian can be a “le$bean”, and the most frequently used emojis are the corn emoji - for porn - and the brain emoji, for implying oral sex. The nut emoji is also in play but I really don’t want to have to spell that one out for you.
The poo emoji
As a rule of thumb, any emoji that has been made into a plush toy or pillow of some kind should be avoided (this also applies to the aubergine emoji). The poo emoji has never necessarily been “in”, but believe me if you ever use this now you’re set for a life of exile.
This emoji recently made a reapperance in the public consciousness by way of the Harry and Meghan documentary when Meghan Markle explained how people mocked her 2017 Christmas carol service hat and compared it to the poo emoji. This gives you an idea of the clientele who use the poo emoji. And do you really want to call those people your peers? No, I thought not.
The thumbs up
Possibly the most bland, inoffensive emoji of all has been declared dead in the water. In fact, the thumbs up emoji is ranked as the worst emoji for showing your age, according to a poll of 2,000 young people that was conducted by Perspectus Global in 2021. But Gen Z view the thumbs up as rude and even “hostile” due to its basic nature.
It’s replacement? The saluting emoji, which is very in vogue right now. The emoji du jour was used by Twitter’s staff to signify their departure from the company after being fired by Elon Musk and has been hailed as the saviour of 2022 by Rolling Stone magazine. If you want an emoji with cool implications, this is your guy.
The monkey covering its eyes
Also known as the “see no evil” monkey, this emoji has become synonymous with horny people on dating apps begging for nudes and men cheating on their girlfriends via Instagram DM. It’s all very Adam Levine. And while the wised up young’uns know its true purpose, many boomers appear to still be using it with an uncharacteristic innocence, to express shock or cheeky surprise.
The Gen Z equivalent is the slightly left of field eyes and mouth emoji, which is used to express shock as well as a deadpan expression. In the immortal words of Urban Dictionary, ððð signifies “confusion, or [being] surprised or disgusted.” You can also use the new melting face emoji, which can be used to show that you’re feeling overwhelmed or just, you know, melting into a puddle.
The 100 emoji
Don’t be fooled if you see this emoji in circulation: it is only used ironically now. If you fall into the trap of using this emoji in sincerity, you will wind up looking like a person who’s Spotify Wrapped top artist was Drake, and if I need to explain to you why that’s bad then I’m afraid you’re already too far gone.
Previously used to express approval, this emoji has made the classic cultural leap of transitioning from cool, to uncool, to ironically meme worthy. Gen Z’s will use this when joking about “the grind”, probably accompanied by a bicep, fist or praying hands (do you see the Drake energy now?). Instead, if you want to express approval of something, use the blue icy face: it means cold, which means cool, get it?
That should sort you in assimilating with the Gen Z’s for now — but if you’re in a pinch, play it safe, go all lower caps and go sans emojis. That’s how the Gen Z magna carta is written, after all.
