Surprise: Gen Z isn’t the intern anymore.

They’re running meetings, pitching products, and maybe even managing you. They’re already in your office and your inbox.

You probably want to communicate with them without drama.

But here’s the problem: what feels friendly to you might feel passive-aggressive to them.

Your “Thanks :)” could accidentally start a digital war because you thought a smiley was just… a smiley.

Here’s how different emojis can be read by different age groups
(sometimes with completely different meanings):

Now enter the old-school keyboard smiles: :) ;) =)

Millennials see them as normal, polite, even professional. A nice way to soften a message.
But Gen Z might read it as cold. Sometimes even passive-aggressive.
Say “good job :)” and suddenly they’re texting their therapist.

Emojis were made to help us feel closer. Now they sometimes push us away.
So next time you drop a 🙂, ask yourself — am I saying ‘thanks’ or starting a cold war?