In response to public demand for a "dislike" button, Facebook has finally released some new emoji called "Reactions", which are rather expressive Like button to help users express their feelings better than a dislike button per se.
Six new emoticons released by Facebook are "Love", "Haha", "Yay", "Wow", "Sad", and "Angry" that can be used on your friends' updates, pages and community you follow. These Reactions can be accessed by long pressing or hovering over the Like button.
The company is testing Reactions emoji in Ireland and Spain first before introducing to the rest of the world after studying users' feedback in these countries.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg posted on Thursday that it has spent lots of time to give "better options for expressing yourself, while keeping the experience simple and respectful".
"For many years though, people have asked us to add a "dislike" button. Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want a way to express empathy. These are important moments where you need the power to share more than ever, and a Like might not be the best way to express yourself," he wrote.
He however said that the new Reactions are not exactly a "dislike" button.
"Reactions gives you new ways to express love, awe, humor and sadness. It's not a dislike button, but it does give you the power to easily express sorrow and empathy -- in addition to delight and warmth," he wrote.
It is clear from Facebook's move that it is more inclined towards argument that a "dislike" button will be too negative with potential to cause distress to users.
