What is cringe culture? Or rather, what does the word cringe even mean? For those living under a rock, “cringe” is a fairly common term, rising in use over the past few years, especially among Gen Z and on the internet. Here are the pros and cons of the cringe culture’s rising appearances in skits, everyday conversation among today’s generations, and social media.

In layman’s terms, to cringe at something is the act of feeling embarrassed or awkward for a certain person or situation.

For example, a contestant on America’s Got Talent confidently projects their voice despite lacking any singing skill could be seen as cringeworthy. The atmosphere becomes awkward as the judges try to hide their reactions. The viewers themselves might feel uncomfortable, thinking about how embarrassed they would be in the contestant’s shoes. 

For the most part, it can be lighthearted. The normalization of cringeworthy content allows us to loosen up a bit and laugh at situations that would otherwise be uncomfortable. But where does the act of cringing at something go from lighthearted fun to offensive?

Nowadays, with the rise of short-form content on social media, there’s an upsurge in the sheer variety of content. One of the trending topics is cringe humor.

Cringe humor is a bit like satire. In the form of seconds-long content, creators poke fun at what is socially unconventional or “weird.” It’s meant to be relatable, funny, or even make the viewers uncomfortable—which plays a huge factor in what makes cringe humor enjoyable.   

Stanzi Potenza, a content creator on TikTok, has more than 3.8 million followers. Her medium of content? Humorizing wacky fan culture, shows, etc., all for the purpose of making her audience cringe. Stanzi herself has said that there’s a certain “pain” that comes along with cringe videos—precisely why people find them so entertaining. Cringe content brings out strong emotions in us, which fires us up and keeps us watching. Cringe culture isn’t necessarily bad. Cringing about something embarrassing done in the past helps to brush it off and move along. 

However, with the prominence of cringe culture, there’s a negative side to it as well. For one, what is cringe and what isn’t doesn’t have a concrete definition. Something that is cringe one day can be trendy the next. Many people throw around the word cringe with a negative connotation to the point where others can feel stifled or even harassed online for simply speaking their mind. 

This is especially true when it comes to neurodivergent, autistic, or LGBTQ+ communities who want to share their interests and thoughts on topics online, only to be shamed by a largely negative and vocal group of people. It’s not uncommon to find a video on TikTok from a young adult or teen creating content about whatever they have a passion for.

For example, a teen can host a passionate talk on popular video game franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog. Seems wholesome and fun, right? Here’s the dark side. This young content creator would be entirely dismissed for having “childish” hobbies or being called “cringe” for just being excited to share their joy. This can breed a sense of distrust among these platforms, leaving people unsure and insecure of sharing their own thoughts and opinions. No one likes to be bombarded with a wave of hate at the end of the day.

It’s especially hard for the minority groups mentioned above to find comfort in what they love online. As it is, it is tough for these minority groups to meet people with similar mindsets or interests with this glaring feeling of “otherness” looming over them. With more people turning to the internet to find like-minded individuals, the hate spread by cringe culture is ultimately removing any sort of sanctuary once found online.

It’s unlikely that this problem will ever fully vanish, as there’ll always be trolls on the internet spreading negative opinions. However, it’s not hopeless. This should serve as a reminder to Gen Z of the weight of the word “cringe”—what one person uses as a joke of little substance, another feels it as a wound that cuts deep. The internet has become something of a second home for many of us. We should be able to speak our minds there.