But in the spirit of resistance being futile: I do think trends take hold for reasons. Whether or not those reasons will endure, or prove to be incidental, is another question. I mean, there is something potent and electric in the like/emoji system as it is, an electricity that is rendered a bit more sober and analytical by the articulation I would be opting for. Highly concentrated satisfaction on one hand, and a more spread-out, enduring one on the other.
The resistance is pragmatic, merely in the interest of understanding what currents go where, how strongly, and how soon they are subsumed by larger currents. Once this analysis is carried through to some extent, then one can, perhaps, fall back in line with them, having audited and evaluated them.
Can we read guilt as a circuit breaker? In the sense that it can function to prevent a quickly solidifying habit of automatic gratification? In line with Luka's point about its ability to inhibit the autopilot/treadmill potential.