That’s So Cringe

Has cringe culture gone too far? In this article, we unpack the rise of humor and nonchalance in place of sincerity and authenticity.

Words Erika Anne Sulat
Art by Martina Reyes
December 30, 2025

In an interview with ABC News last July, poet, professor, and author of ‘On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,’ Ocean Vuong, revealed that his students are hesitant to create art and showcase it to the public for fear of being ridiculed. He cites a culture of surveillance brewing among the youth, who are afraid of the public calling them “cringe.”

The term “cringe” made a resurgence on the internet as a way to describe the feeling of embarrassment one experiences when someone does something deemed “cringe-worthy.” This could range from genuinely embarrassing moments, like slipping or saying the wrong words to a person, to art that people deem so “bad” that it’s cringeworthy.

A Culture of Nonchalance

Cringe has always existed, but with the rise of social media, it has magnified the act of being cringe-worthy. What could be a short, funny moment of embarrassment can now be packaged and posted on the internet. It doesn’t help that whatever stays on the internet stays there forever.

The avoidance of being deemed “cringe” has led to a rise in the culture of nonchalance among the youth. Showing too much emotion or sincerity over something can risk being called out and ridiculed. This could explain the hesitance of younger people to put their work out to the public.

Authenticity Repackaged for Humor

In a Tumblr post, singer Ethel Cain coined the term “irony epidemic” to refer to people taking a “pinch” of sincere art and adding a humorous bit to it, overtaking the sincerity and actual context of the artwork. Vuong also mentions in his interview that there has been a rise of cynicism among the youth, utilized as a way to seem intelligent.

Through their words, I’m reminded of memes rooted in art that have trended on the internet. From FKA Twigs’ Cellophane sung in a Miss Piggy voice over videos of Borzoi dogs, to clips of actresses crying in agony in movies being used as funny reaction GIFs. 

Admittedly, I have had a chuckle over these memes, but I can’t help but think that perhaps the sincerity and agony attributed to these artworks are lost in the humor repackaged for the internet—that, to make these works palatable online, they must carry some semblance of ironic awareness.

There’s No Escaping It

Cringe is inevitable. If you’re someone who has been a beginner at anything, trying will always be “cringe.” I still cringe at the things I did when I was a teenager. I cringe at the memories of reciting a poem I wrote in a room full of ninth graders.

But the thing was, I never really thought of how they thought about it, because at the end of the day, we were all in the same boat–students who want to be better at writing.

To be cringe means you’re being authentic to yourself and the fact that you’re new to what you’re venturing into. It's time we abandon the notion of embarrassing ourselves in front of others and allow ourselves to be lost in our art.