14 Mar The Year of Meta-Cringe for Gen Z
If you have had any interactions with a teen or young adult recently, I am sure you have heard the word “cringy” uttered more than once. Consider Chicken Shop Date interviews with Amelia Dimoldenberg and Taylor Swift’s infamous 2022 NYU graduation speech when she says “… learn to live alongside cringe,” as examples of the current cultural relevance of cringe. But how about “meta-cringe”? Trend forecasters predict that 2023 is the year of meta-cringe for Gen Z. While cringe is generally defined as embarrassment, awkwardness or discomfort about something or someone being out of touch, meta-cringe is defined as having an awareness that something is cringey and enjoying it anyway. A hallmark of meta-cringe is that it’s unclear whether the act is sincere or ironic, and because of that, the question about intent loses importance all together.
It makes sense that meta-cringe is having its moment. In the current political and social climate, Gen Z are inundated with news and trends that move at a speed far too fast to keep up with. Young people are understandably anxious about the state of the world and disillusioned with emerging adulthood for many reasons, including the war in Ukraine, mass shootings, climate change, and economic uncertainty. These feelings of distress, combined with Gen Z’s value of authenticity, leads young people to deliberately engage in absurd, awkward, and idiosyncratic cringe humor. Gen Z are no longer interested in projecting a perfect online image. Instead, they are rejecting the societal pressures of a flawless feed and the shame associated with cringeworthy moments, and in lieu of this, opting for curated cringe. This kind of humor is often an expression of nostalgia for the media and cultural trends of Gen Z’s adolescence from the 2000s to 2010s (i.e., Shrek raves, viral memes about 2000s emo singing impressions).
In our work at Fluent, where we often conduct research with Gen Z teens and young adults, we consider the cultural shifts and values that embody meta-cringe when trying to connect with and design for young people. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when working with Gen Z:
– Be Nostalgic: Find unique and easy ways for Gen Z to connect with the beloved digital and media world they grew up with (2000s to 2010s).
– Embrace Absurdity: Don’t be afraid to be cringy. Intentional or not, this peaks interest.
– Play with “when the curtain drops” moments: Focus on content that feels unstaged and genuine. Consider the trope of “when the curtain drops” or “the camera stops rolling” humor where the viewer gets a glimpse into the inner world of a character, or behind the scenes.
– Be Authentic: Be cringey, be real, as long as you are being truthful to you. A curated and manicured public image is not in style anymore.
– Cultivate personal and meaningful connection: Ensure that connection feels vulnerable, intimate and simple, perhaps with smaller groups of peers.
– Share the unfiltered self: Encourage sharing in a way that feels like unedited, first takes. Consider BeReal and Poparazzi as examples of apps popular among Gen Z that are designed for unedited and in-the-moment photo sharing.
– Be Relatable: One aspect of meta-cringe is the relatability of those moments of embarrassment, awkwardness or discomfort. It may be painful to watch, but the humor connects with Gen Z who are disillusioned with the perfect, filtered digital image.
Meta-cringe will influence Gen Z’s expectations and behaviors in the digital world. Young people are embracing their guilty pleasures and giving themselves permission to be themselves, IRL and online. We can view this carefree attitude as a way for Gen Z to express more vulnerability when they connect with others online.
Sources:
https://i-d.vice.com/en/article/qjkywp/meta-cringe
https://www.russh.com/tiktok-meta-cringe/
https://zeefeed.com.au/meta-cringe/
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRWYP36o/
By Natalia Belchikov, User Experience Researcher, Fluent Research