‘You can be made a laughing stock to millions’: can Gen Z escape the fear of being cringe?

A growing concern among young people in the UK is the fear of being perceived as "cringe" in public and online. This anxiety is heightened by the omnipresence of smartphones, which can capture and share moments instantly, potentially leading to embarrassment on a massive scale.

Katie Whitney, a TikTok creator with 2.5 million followers, exemplifies this phenomenon. In a recent video directed at actress Cynthia Erivo, Whitney adopts an overly affectionate tone, which many viewers found uncomfortable, describing it as "toe-curling" or simply "cringe." This reaction highlights the societal pressure young people feel to curate their public personas carefully, avoiding anything that might be deemed embarrassing.

The term "CringeTok" has emerged to describe a subset of social media content that intentionally evokes discomfort or embarrassment. Whitney, who began creating such content at age 20, represents a broader trend where young individuals grapple with the balance between self-expression and the fear of ridicule. This fear extends beyond social media, infiltrating classrooms and workplaces, where the stakes of being perceived as awkward or embarrassing can feel particularly high.

As Gen Z navigates these challenges, questions arise about the potential for liberation from these constraints. Can they find ways to embrace authenticity without the looming threat of becoming a "laughing stock"?

Source: www.theguardian.com – https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/can-gen-z-escape-fear-cringe-laughing-stock