Once upon a time, we were all young and dumb (yes, all of us). And a big part of growing up is gaining the ability to look back on youth with a totally different perspective. So, Redditor u/crypto_wut asked, “What is cool in the eyes of most high schoolers but is actually cringe?” Here’s what people said.
1.
“Being popular for the wrong reasons. As soon as you graduate, that shit starts over. It’s better to stop relying on being popular and prepare for the real world.”
2.
“Worrying too much about what other people think and overthinking the concept of ‘cool’ in the first place.”
3.
“Telling people ‘how mature you are.’ I was a high school tutor for five years, and almost every single one of my students would mention they were ‘more mature than most high schoolers.'”
5.
“Using sophisticated language to sound smart. Anyone can string together a bunch of big words, but that doesn’t make you intelligent.”
7.
“Bailing on plans last minute. If you don’t want to do something, just say so.”
8.
“Binge drinking. It’s fairly prevalent and accepted within a lot of social circles when you’re in your 20s. You know, those nights out with your buddies when you pre-game, go to the bar and order a few rounds of shots, and let the night take you where the alcohol fuel leads. This feels progressively out of place as you move into your 30s and beyond.”
9.
“Sleep deprivation. I loved pulling all nighters as a teen and young adult. Now, they just give me migraines and make the entire subsequent day hell.”
10.
“Discussing sex loudly with the purpose of having random strangers overhear you as if that is somehow a sign of maturity.”
11.
“Being rude to your teachers. Every person who I know who was rebellious in school cringes hard when they think about the shit they said to teachers way back when.”
12.
“Teens who think they know about anything in this world. I know it’s a phase we all went through, but it’s very annoying listening to a kid lecture you on stuff they’ve never experienced, never stopped to think about, or aren’t even capable of thinking about.”
13.
“Flipping off the camera when you get your picture taken.”
14.
“Not caring. Being genuine even to the point of seeming uncool is an amazing personality trait in adulthood that some don’t realize until they are much older.”
15.
“Visible hickeys. Because nothing is cooler than walking into your 8 a.m class looking like your neck lost a fight with an angry octopus.”
16.
“That one TikTok haircut that guys get where they have no hair on the sides and then too much hair on top.”
17.
“Vaping. If I had a time machine and could only go back in time once, I’d probably go back to stop 16 year-old-me from ever starting to use any form of nicotine.”
18.
“Doing things solely to gain other peoples’ approval. Seriously, when you grow up and stop giving a crap about other peoples’ opinions, life is so much better.”
19.
“Driving like an idiot and/or having an excessively loud car.”
20.
“Calling millennials or any older generation cringe. Young people are also going to get old and seem ‘cringe’ to the kids one day. It’s the cycle of life.”
21.
“Gossiping at the expense of someone else.”
22.
“TikTok. It’s going to be crazy watching all the current Zoomers grow up and cringe massively at the stuff they put out on TikTok.”
23.
“The whole lifestyle of being ‘young and reckless.’ Drugs are not cool. Having sex in public places is not cool. Skipping class is not cool.”
24.
“Being loud and obnoxious in public spaces like movie theaters, restaurants, stores, etc….”
25.
“Saying ‘hashtag’ in a spoken sentence, and not ironically.”
What are some things you notice about younger generations that feel so cringeworthy because you’ve grown up? Tell us in the comments.
