Beautiful People,
My image of the week: Facebook’s new addition of five human reactions other than LIKE.

I could joke that it took Facebook more than a year to develop five additional reactions to like, but being an immigrant, I understand that people have different interpretations for human gestures. A social media leader as Facebook must consider the way each reaction image can be understood.

So because it is Friday, let’s have some fun and explore the way some human gestures are interpreted across our global village-

Thumbs up- Mostly recognized sign of approval, but an insult in Bangladesh.

The “V” Sign- In the United States it refers to victory or peace. In the UK, Australia and South Africa, the same gesture is considered to be an extremely insulting.

Head shake- Most people think that nodding your head is the universal sign for “yes” and shaking your head is the sign for “no.” But in Greece and Bulgaria, these actions are reversed.
If you have food allergies, and you are dinning in a Greek or a Bulgarian restaurant you’d better pay attention. Yes, I’m talking from experience.

Crossing fingers- In the United states it used to wish for luck. In Vietnam it depicts a woman’s genitalia and is considered very insulting if directed at another person. It is like saying the c-word.

Tongue sticking- In Tibet, is actually a sign of respect. Try to do it in the United States, UK, and pretty much anywhere else and you’ll lose all respect.

The bottom line? USE YOUR WORDS.

XO,
Sharon