You’ve probably seen the term ‘cringe’ popping up in various social media posts and memes. If you have no idea what it means, you might be on the verge of being labeled a “cringe” internet user, according to the new virtual jokes circulating among different generations.
It all began with a poll for Generation Z, which comprises young people born between 1995 and 2010. They were asked about what they found embarrassing or just “cringe” when it came to their predecessors, Generation Y or Millennials, born between 1981 and 1995. This triggered a flood of memes and jokes about what was considered “cringe” in relation to Millennials.
Things like having breakfast, wearing skinny jeans, watching Harry Potter, or even paying bills became reasons for laughter. Even the simple use of expressions like “paying bills” and emojis in conversations was classified as “very cringe” by Generation Z in relation to Millennials. Now, imagine if we started talking about “cringe” hair? Is that possible?
Certainly, this topic must have come up at some point. After all, for those who led the movement of embracing curly hair, feeling ashamed of your own curls or trying to hide your true curly identity is not a new topic.
If we look at the context of this joke, being a woman with curly, very curly, or wavy hair has been and, in some cases, still is a way to challenge entire generations to rethink their relationship with hair. Regardless of the generation we belong to, we all go through “cringe” moments, whether it’s when we decide to do the famous “big chop” or when we return to our natural curls.
Taking something positive from this movement means reflecting on who we are and our social interaction, regardless of the generation we belong to. After all, what really matters is loving yourself and feeling good about your own identity, whether it’s considered “cringe” or not.
