Finger Guns: The Social Distancing Replacement for Handshakes

Tom Hanks at the 2014 Golden Globes. (Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP)

In the era of COVID-19, social distancing, and self-isolation, you are probably looking for some way to define your normal. I’m not a health expert or lifestyle influencer or anything fancy like that, but I do have one humble suggestion: don’t replace handshakes with elbow bumps or foot shakes. Those are weird. Instead, I recommend that you do finger guns. It’s established, versatile, and makes you seem way cooler to your friends and colleagues. See the chart below for irrefutable proof that this is what you should be doing.

Potential Socially Distant Alternatives to Handshakes	Elbow Bumps	Thumbs Up	Foot Shakes	Finger Guns
Existing form of greeting – people won’t think you’re weird
Coolness factor – makes a great first impression
Zero contact – can be done in passing or virtually
Emoji support – can be done over text
Multi-directional emoji support – great for call and response