Gen Z Is Telling Us To Stop Using The Laughing Emoji, And Millennials Officially Feel Ancient
*stares nervously at emoji keyboard*
If you've been keeping up at all with the millennial/Gen Z discourse, you know that Gen Z'ers have proclaimed that lots of things millennials do are lame, including wearing skinny jeans and our precious side parts.
But I'm not here to talk about them right now. I'm here to talk about this guy right here:

Yep, the good ol' laughing-crying emoji we've used in many group chats over the years to react to something funny has now officially been deemed old and lame by the youths of Gen Z.
@stef0nie People who use this emoji scare me #laughingemoji #fyp #ChiliDogYum
♬ Latch - Disclosure
Apparently, it's a real deal breaker.
@ptarazzz just walk away w those dry emojis 🙄🤚 #fyp#foryou#foryoupage#NewYearNewMiO#WinterFit#WithoutTellingMe#CobraKaiChop #emojis#laughingemoji#drytexters
♬ whole lotta cap - 𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐲𝐯𝐫𝐨
They're even blocking TikTok comments with the emoji so they'll never lay eyes on it again!
@blvkerogers I have officially banned all laughing#nomorelaughing #nomorelaughingemoji #laughing #laughingemoji #provemewrong #provethemwrong
♬ Buttercup - Jack Stauber
I guess, according to my research — aka me scrolling for hours on TikTok/the internet — we're supposed to use the skull emoji instead now???

Or maybe...the actual crying emoji????

Some millennials, like @charliemcclendon_, are taking it pretty hard.
@charliemcclendon_ no seriously what emoji do I use now I feel like that’s the only emoji that captures how I feel when I laugh #fyp
♬ THE STORY OF US TSWIFT - kelsey
It's been a pretty devastating shock.
@bruhbruhski pointed out that we'll now have to try and navigate which emoji to use in order to seem ~cool~ based on who we're texting!
@bruhbruhski Like who was the first person to used this as a laughing emoji #emoji #imdead #bruh #texting #relatable #vibe
♬ This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) [2005 Remaster] - Talking Heads
Meanwhile, @trav.the.voice stepped up to defend the 😂 emoji.
@trav.the.voice Like Idk how people put 😭 as a laughing emoji #fypsounds #newyear #MyStyle #funny #fyp
♬ wii home - quarantine queen
@kateluckinbillconner let the Gen Z'ers know that she's not about to just give up on an emoji that's gotten her through so much.
@kateluckinbillconner Stop telling me what to do genz! #eldermillenial #millennialsoftiktok #spicegirls #laughingcryingemoji
♬ Wannabe - Spice Girls
And @janeration72 pointed out that we don't use the emoji because we think life is THAT funny — it's actually because we're laughing through the pain.
@janeration72 And with that, here’s 😂😂 #laughcry #emoji #korean #momsoftiktok #soysaucemoms #millennialsoftiktok
♬ OLD AF - YourFunnyUnni😂
In the end, we should probably consider the true victim in all of this: the 😂 emoji itself.
@down.to.clown Poor 😂😂😂 Emoji #emoji #laugh #isthiswhoweare
♬ OHMYGAWDISTHISWHOWEr - felicia