cringe

The 2010s, once dismissed as the “cringe era,” are being reclaimed by Gen Z, who view it as a representation of the “fleeting freedom” they’d never experienced, with their own coming-of-age consumed by pandemic lockdowns and political turmoil.

Millennial optimism: A reframing of millennial cringe as a lost freedom Gen Z never had. (I, II, III)

Much of his early campaign — a 33-year-old dude, standing on a street corner with less than 1 percent in the polls, asking random people why they voted for President Trump for a YouTube video — was objectively cringey. There was something about Mr. Mamdani’s goofy sincerity that younger voters appreciated.

Gen Z-ers might wince at our earnestness, but they also value authenticity. Millennial cringe is somewhat synonymous with millennial optimism, that earnest (and, yes, sometimes naïve) feeling that better things are possible. But it’s worth holding on to — as long as we can divorce it from the clap-stomp music that so often accompanied it.

What is a ‘Swag Gap Relationship’ and Should You Avoid It? (Life & Style Mag)

TikTok users are discussing “swag gap relationships,” where one partner is considered significantly cooler than the other, leading to potential embarrassment and differences in interests. While some see it as a real problem, others suggest addressing it with open... See more

Identifying as a “foodie” used to be cringe. Junaid Bhatti, a sophomore at New York University, doesn’t care. “I’m a big foodie,” he said. “Beli has a changed the game for me.” There’s a typo in that last quote, or perhaps he just said it in Mario voice:

I have talked a lot this week about a perplexing experience I had last Saturday night at the Perfectly Imperfect 5th anniversary party [SIC] homie Tyler Bainbridge was kind enough to invite my chunc ass to. The London rapper Fakemink was headlining and I was curious to see what the kids are into for myself. It was ... shambolic (as rappers playing

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“Seeing all the content makes kids feel like they’re part of the braces community,” said Dr. Staller, who posts on TikTok as @bracesbysable to over 235,000 followers. “They feel like they’re part of the process and it’s revived metal braces. The industry has really leaned into it.”