Entertainment
Remember a few months ago, when the worldwide clamoring for a "dislike" button on Facebook finally came to a head, and the social media site announced that they'd release a whole slew of different "reactions" in the near future? That day has finally arrived. Change is difficult and confusing, and changes on social media sites can sometimes send people into a blind panic (or rage; remember when they changed the star on Twitter to a heart?), so I'm here to gently explain how to use Facebook's new reactions.
The feature has been available in Spain and Ireland since October, but has just been released worldwide. When you first view a post, you'll see the old familiar Like, Comment, and Share icons. If you'd like to react with something other than a like, simple hover your mouse over the Like icon (or long press if you're on a mobile device), and you'll see six options: Like, Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry. They're all represented by emoji, but hovering over each one in turn will reveal its label. Whereas the greyed-out Like icon used to turn blue once you liked something, it will now be replaced with the icon of whatever mood you choose. If multiple people react to a post, the counts will be reflected separately, for example, two likes and three loves.
While it's a bummer that they didn't actually make the "dislike" we all asked for, and they eliminated the "Yay" that Spain and Ireland originally got to use, we should be grateful for what we've got. There's really no post that can't be covered by one of the new six emoji.
Like
What it means: "This is fine. I'm happy for you, but not too happy."
Use it when: Your sister gets an OK haircut, your neighbor wins his bowling tournament, or your cousin gets out out prison.
Love
What it means: "This is fantastic! I'm literally grinning at my screen right now!"
Use it when: Your niece gets a scholarship to college, your best friend is (intentionally) pregnant, or Krispy Kreme has announced that it's opening a new location near you.
Haha
What it means: "This is funny. Typing LOL seems insincere, but I really am laughing out loud."
Use it when: Your coworker shares a video of a panda rolling down a hill, your friend posts a funny anecdote about his toddler, or a news outlet posts that Donald Trump fell down and broke his tailbone.
Wow
What it means: This is a tricky one, because the little guy doesn't look too shocked, nor does he seem to lean towards a pleased or displeased "wow." So use it for when you don't want people to know how you really feel about something.
Use it when: Your sister gets a bad haircut that she thinks is great, your best friend is pregnant with her ninth kid, your cousin gets out of prison.
Sad
What it means: "That's bad news, and I'm very unhappy about it," or "That's bad news, and I'm sympathetic to your pain."
Use it when: Your brother's dog dies, your spouse's favorite show gets cancelled, or the last remaining Krispy Kreme in your state closes.
Angry
What it means: "This really pisses me off."
Use it when: Your aunt posts that her apartment was robbed, Leonardo DiCaprio gets snubbed by the Academy, or a "friend" invites you to a multi-level marketing "party."
