I fully expect what the first reply to this might be.

  • JackGreenEarth@lemm.ee
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    4 hours ago

    That’s very anecdotal, do you know any studies that investigate thumbs up prevalence IRL and online?

  • DannyBoy
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    9 hours ago

    But people do. I use it all the time.

  • Majorllama@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    I give thumbs up all the time. Usually two of them at the same time with a forced smile to let people know I wanna turn into oncoming traffic every day.

  • Corroded@leminal.space
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    11 hours ago

    I feel like this is a you thing. I bet if you started doing it around people others would start doing it without realizing.

    • paulzy@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 hours ago

      That might be true, or something local. I posted that this morning then got too busy to check in. I probably should have made it less about “positive/negative” and more about “it’s cool vs not cool” Here is my way too late OP explanation:

      I go to a lot of sports events, hockey mostly. Since the 90s my friends and I play a little game. Count the people who give a #1 finger on the jumbotron vs point at their jersey vs thumbs up. Collectively, we have decided that ”kids today” don’t use thumbs up as much as in the past. I also noticed “Let’s go!” Is the cheer these days.

      Sorry for oversimplifying my shower thought.

  • kubok@fedia.io
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    11 hours ago

    OP, where do you live? I get thumbs up all the time. Sometimes as a greeting, sometimes as an encouragement (e.g. during a run), sometimes even as a means of communication in traffic.

    • paulzy@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 hours ago

      Western Canada. I was thinking maybe it’s like a soda vs pop thing. Or just wildly isolated to my own experience. Just showerthinking.