<p>Two studies investigated whether receiving a Like on social media serves as an expression of gratitude through the lens of expectancy violation theory. In Study 1 (<i>n</i> = 99), participants evaluated the meaning of a Like received on a mock social media platform after assisting a hypothetical user. Approximately half perceived the Like as a gratitude expression, while the remainder interpreted it differently. In Study 2 (<i>n</i> = 487), participants were randomly assigned to one of five online experimental conditions where they interacted with a hypothetical beneficiary (control, gratitude, Like, Like + observed gratitude, no Like + observed gratitude). Participants who received gratitude or a Like perceived the beneficiary’s behavior as more positive and were more willing to help the beneficiary. The Like’s effectiveness varied depending on whether participants observed the beneficiary expressing gratitude to another user.</p>