Gen Z canceled the ‘hostile’ thumbs-up emoji and wants to ban these 9 others By . Jack Hobbs and Alex Mitchell. Published Oct. 12, 2022. Updated Oct. 14, 2022, 11:13 a.m. ET.

To Gen Z, that classic smiley face emoji isn’t all sunshine — it’s more of a smug, side-eye smirk that can come off as passive-aggressive in texts like above.

Emoji are being increasingly used in social and professional settings alike. Here's what some of them may be perceived as and how it affects the way you're perceived.