Not Nedo, Nemdo, or Nepnep, but '♡'... The Flustered Manager

Controversy Over New Employee's Emoticon Reply Style
"Is Work Life Instagram?" Some Criticize
"Isn't It Enough to Just Confirm?" Others Respond

There is controversy among netizens over the reaction icons such as 'Heart', 'Like', and 'Check' that can be attached to KakaoTalk chat bubbles. In particular, office workers showed mixed reactions to a junior employee who responded to a boss's message with a 'Heart'.

Recently, a post titled "A New Employee Who Sends Hearts to the Boss's KakaoTalk Messages" was uploaded on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind'. This community requires users to verify their workplace with their company email to join. When posting, the user's workplace is displayed along with their nickname.

In August 2021, KakaoTalk introduced a new 'Reaction' feature. The reactions include a total of six types: 'Heart', 'Like', 'Check', 'Laugh', 'Surprise', and 'Sad'. [Image source=KakaoTalk]

A, who works at a Samsung affiliate, started by saying, "There is a somewhat clueless junior among the youngest employees. They remind me of the clear-eyed lunatic character with a weak spirit from the variety show 'SNL Korea Season 3' in the 'MZ Office' segment."

A continued, "This junior doesn't install the (company) messenger app on their phone, so all work-related communication is done through KakaoTalk," adding, "I recently saw a KakaoTalk message, and usually when you receive a report, you end with 'Yes, thank you for your hard work.' But this person added a 'Heart' reaction to the last message," expressing shock.

He then criticized the junior employee, saying, "I used to think when people called them the 'MZ generation,' it was just older people mocking us, but there really are many empty-headed people."

The 'Heart' reaction A mentioned is part of the 'Reaction' feature newly introduced by KakaoTalk in August 2021. It is available on both mobile phones and PCs. There are six types of reactions: 'Heart', 'Like', 'Check', 'Laugh', 'Surprise', and 'Sad'.

Reactions can be canceled after being applied. The types and number of reactions are displayed below the chat window. It is also possible to see who gave which reaction. When introduced, Kakao stated, "This feature allows users to quickly and easily empathize with messages exchanged between each other," and added, "We expect it will enable more efficient conversations by sharing mutual feedback."

Recently, on the anonymous workplace community 'Blind,' a post titled "A New Employee Who Sends Hearts in Boss's KakaoTalk Messages" was uploaded. This post has sparked a heated debate among netizens. [Image source=Online Community Capture]

A said, "Since I saw it somewhat secretly, it's awkward to teach the junior about it," and added, "I don't understand why they would add a 'Heart' when there's a clear 'Check' mark. It’s really the exact image of the MZ generation that older people complain about, so I feel conflicted."

When another office worker asked, "Isn't it just like the Instagram 'Like' concept to show that you've seen it?" A responded incredulously, "Is this a work chat or Instagram?" He then added, "Wow, basic etiquette is completely dead. The MZ generation really exists."

Netizens who read this post engaged in heated debate. Some criticized A, saying, "A is a Kkondae (old-fashioned person). This is not something to call the MZ generation," while others shared their experiences: "I once used a 'Heart' to avoid sending notifications late at night in a group chat," "Isn't it enough to just show that you read the message?" "In a group chat, showing a reaction is easier to check at once than replying 'Yes'," "They use 'Heart' to avoid seeming like they ignored the message. It's cleaner than sending an emoticon," and "People are bothered by everything. Smells like Kkondae."

On the other hand, some netizens sympathized with A. They emphasized the importance of replying, saying, "It depends on the company, but if only that person behaves unusually, it's wrong," "You should respond," "If you only tap 'Heart', no notification is sent and the time it was tapped doesn't show. How can you handle work like that?" "Usually, you don't end with the superior's message," "Is it okay to just send a 'Heart' without replying? Then I must be a Kkondae too," and "Sending only a 'Heart' without a reply is a matter of etiquette."