Thanks to Facebook releasing Reactions, which puts more emojis at one's disposal, users now have a more comprehensive way to express their emotions instead of using the like button alone.
On Wednesday, Facebook rolled out its redesigned like button which brought in its folds the much-awaited five new sentiments. Users can now deploy any of these to react to posts on their News Feed.
We take you through how to use the Facebook Reactions: Love, Haha, Wow, Sad and Angry.
Finding The Emojis
Locating the new emojis is pretty simple — just hold down the like button on the iOS or Android app for Facebook and the list will appear and select the one you want to put to use! For those on their desktop, hover the cursor over the like button to see the emojis.
The update is still rolling out, so some people may have not received it yet.
Can I Use More Than One?
Facebook has restricted one reaction for each post. So the next time your friend puts up the adorable picture of her puppy in a basket you will be faced with dilemma of opting for either "wow" or "love" or the old like.
However, Facebook gives one the option to change or undo a reaction.
Only Top Three Reactions Will Show
Another change which comes with the Facebook Reactions is that instead of showing the counts for all the reactions, where we could previously see "likes" counts, one will only see the tally for the three most used reactions for a post.
However, desktop users can hover over the emoji and those on mobile can tap the reaction count to get the complete details of who posted which reaction.
What's The Appropriate Way To Use The Reactions?
This one is slightly tricky as there is no set guideline of what is appropriate usage of an emoji or what is not. However, we suggest some basic usages for each Reaction.
Like: The tried and tested feature is reflective of a neutral view — expressing your solidarity and yet being distant and not too involved. The thumbs-up comes in handy when one sees a post but is not so bothered to generate an emotional reaction.
Love: This Reaction can be used when one really likes something — it is basically a like but with emotion. This is symbolic of empathy in situations such as when a beloved has passed away. It can also be used to signal camaraderie and excitement in the "Oh my God! I love it" kind of reaction or affirmation as well.
Haha: This Reaction is an extension of when one would possibly go LOL, ROFL or LMAO. Use it when you find something hilarious or amusing. Be careful though not to drop a haha when someone puts up an emotional post that they have broken up!
Wow: While this Reaction is great for signaling your approval for something, but it can also be used sarcastically to show your disapproval.
Sad: This Reaction is perfect for scenarios when you want to express condolence or align with an unhappy sentiment and feel empathetic towards that person. For instance, when someone loses a pet or loved one or announces a break-up or divorce.
