Facebook cynics, rejoice! Your years of social media discontent have been acknowledged, and the Great White Buffalo of Facebook features is finally coming: the “Dislike” button.

After years of ignoring the groups and petitions of thousands of users, Mark Zuckerberg finally announced that a dislike button is in the works. But before you malcontents begin to jump for joy, take a moment to read the fine print. The aim of the Facebook’s “Dislike” button will reportedly be to clear up any confusion on “liking” negative posts, such as deaths and natural disasters.

“We lost Scruffles today, he was a great dog.”

“Facebook User Likes This”

Maybe that clears up the projected purpose of the new-but-long-desired function. It’s to convey empathy, not disagreement. An awkward situation always presents itself when “liking” a post that isn’t positive.

As expected, there has already been some backlash after the announcement. In an age where cyberbullying is a serious issue, many wonder if the “Dislike” button will foster an online environment that promotes it. That’s why Facebook needs to tread lightly with this rollout, and cover all its bases so that a feature designed to show compassion isn’t used to display displeasure on photos or status updates.

What are your thoughts on Facebook’s “Dislike” button?