Humans aren’t psychologically evolved to be subject to the judgment of so many others. “Biologically or culturally, we’re adapted to relatively small group living,” says Giner-Sorolla. “We’re not adapted to live where millions of eyes are on us.” When we lived in smaller, entirely offline communities, we could adapt to fit in with those around us – or choose not to. “But when you have not only a million pairs of eyes, but 1,000 different standards, 1,000 different subcultures judging you, that can be very overwhelming.”
Georgie Gee, a child psychotherapist based in London, says that before the internet: “Identity was formed by hanging out with real people that you liked, and you identified with their values.” Now, she says: “there are so many different voices … if you’re exposed to that from a very early age it can interfere with your normal adolescent development of identity.”
So can gen Z get over the fear of cringe? According to Giner-Sorolla, the way to survive is to “narrow your focus … have a reference group of people you can be authentic with, and even if other people think your authenticity is cringe, at least you’ve got your people.” Burnett is of a similar mind. “Having connections, having friends, having people you can relate to and share with, that’s good for the brain,” he says. What about thousands of connections online? “That’s not a healthy default, and that’s what I think holds people back.” While everyone would benefit from having a community, he says, “not everyone benefits from an audience”.
— Read on www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/03/can-gen-z-escape-fear-cringe-laughing-stock
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