Grimacing face

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).

Alternate text

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”?

Alternate emojis

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!

Clapping hands

Perhaps since this emoji could come off as a slow, sarcastic clap, this seemingly encouraging icon got a 10% disapproval rate.

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.

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.

Loudly crying face

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.

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).

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.

Tick/checkmark

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 the tick is quite vague, why not spell it out? "I’ve completed it," or "Great job," or "I hear you" could all work.

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.

Red love heart

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.

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.

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)