How 'Cringe Culture' Is Hindering Professional Growth for Gen Z

Forbes

5 hours ago

This is a three-part series about how Gen Z culture is influencing career trajectories
Part 1: The Cultural Origins of Cringe and Its Workplace Manifestations
Ironic detachment and professional ambivalence are becoming the calling cards for a generation of young employees in the post-Covid era. Statistics reveal that Gen Z workers are at higher risk of being fired and one in six employers are reportedly hesitant to hire Gen Z. Many Gen Z professionals (born between 1997 and 2012) have entered the workforce conditioned to avoid any appearance of emotional vulnerability or earnest ambition. The unspoken rules are clear: Don't try too hard, don't care too much, and avoid 'being cringe.'
What Is Cringe Culture?
'Cringe culture' emerged from informal social policing on social media, but it is also prevalent in real-life interactions. Behaviors that are tagged as awkward or overly eager are shared and mocked. 'Did you see what Sophia posted? God, it was so cringe!'
Cringe culture is evident in YouTube 'fail' compilations, TikTok duets that provide commentary on the targeted post, and Reddit forums that chronicle missteps and mishaps. Managing one's personal reputation used to be a preoccupation mainly for celebrities and PR firms, but Gen Z's habitation of digital spaces allows their every move (or post) to be scrutinized and judged by their peers. Screen shots of photos or text messages can be circulated faster than the speed of light. The unrelenting anxiety of doing something that could be perceived as 'cringe' leads some Gen Z adults to a chronic state of functional freeze. Sincere effort and ambition have become socially risky behaviors. In Gen Z's calculus, the cost of potential censure is too high.
The Psychological Impact
This hyper-consciousness breeds extreme social rejection sensitivity and a preference for 'play it safe' and 'stay in your lane' behaviors. The fear of humiliation is matched by the fear of being seen as a 'try hard.' Ironic detachment has become a default setting for Gen Z workers focused on self-preservation. 'If you don't know I tried, I can't be judged if I ultimately fail.'
Educators and developmental experts know that fear of failure can inhibit learning and growth in the classroom. The developmental cost of 'cringe culture' in the workplace is stalled careers and stunted professional growth. Workplaces reward visibility, risk-taking, and speaking up. But Gen Z has been conditioned to avoid the appearance of effort and potential failure in front of others. Professors have noted that Gen Z is reluctant to raise their hand to speak in class. This fear of being wrong, being ridiculed, or being labeled as 'cringe' follows young adults into their professional spheres, too.
How Cringe Culture Manifests at Work
Leaders may observe Gen Z employees and interpret reticence as disengagement, hesitation as lack of initiative, or emotional detachment as immaturity. The Gen Z stare has been documented and widely interpreted as rude and disrespectful. But these common behaviors reveal an internal conflict and lack of psychological safety. The fear of being 'cringe' can lead to behaviors that stall professional development.
The discourse about Gen Z in the workplace often centers on their lack of preparedness or unsteady work ethic. But understanding the psychology of 'cringe culture' can illuminate and reframe the conversation. Most organizations will depend on this generation of workers and need for them to be successful.
Coming in Parts 2 and 3: The organizational impact of cringe culture and what leaders can do to create developmental paths for Gen Z