If you ask a member of Gen Z what they think is embarrassing, they are likely to give you a long list. While the first few items may be things that everyone would agree are pretty embarrassing like a phone going off in class or tripping up the stairs, there has been a cultural shift of everyday situations being perceived as humiliating. Things like ordering food or raising your hand in class are seen as embarrassing. Too many posts on an Instagram story are seen as cringe. Showing too much emotion is seen as corny.
One thing most high school students can agree on is carrying around a coat is inconvenient, but more so it is embarrassing. Having to haul around a heavy duty coat is seen as uncool, which leads many students to leave their homes in single-digit weather without the proper gear. The cost of getting sick and having to miss school is not worth the fewer stares from having a coat on. Moreover, there are very few people who will actually judge you for wearing a coat when it is five degrees outside.
Then, in the classroom so many necessary tasks are seen as embarrassing. Many teachers can account for the silence that follows questions because, to many students, raising their hand is embarrassing. This leads to students mumbling answers, which helps no one. Some students also avoid getting up to utilize the trash can or blow their nose. These are completely normal tasks that no one will bat an eye at, but have become disconcerting for no reason.
The embarrassment goes beyond the classroom as well. Social media contains a lot of unwritten rules. Posting too much on stories, using Instagram notes or commenting frequently are frowned upon. Isn’t the whole point of social media to be social? Practicing or adding to these unwritten rules undermines the enjoyment of being on social media. There is so much fun content to interact with, as well as a lot of online communities to interact with others that share interests.
In social situations, it is easy to believe that a lot of things can go wrong. Many teenagers find ordering food to be awkward, but it is a part of life. Avoiding ordering or making a friend order for you is unnecessary. Even if you mess up, the worker helping you is not likely to remember it. Homecoming is another big example. North Homecoming 2022 was filled with giant dance circles, but overall students having fun. People were not afraid to be silly and dance even if they did not know how. Homecoming 2025 was less of an experience, as more people just stood still on the dance floor. The whole point of a school dance is to dance, have fun and not to worry about others. The fear of judgement ruined the night for a lot of students.
At the end of the day, people are scared to show emotion in the fear of being judged. But if life is lived in fear, is it really lived? High school is too short and too insignificant to be constantly concerned about what your second hour class might think of you answering a question you know the answer to. You only get four Homecomings, so why not make them the best experience? If being embarrassing and cringe and corny makes you happy, then do it. The cost of avoiding shame from everyday activities is outweighed by the loss of enjoyment in life.
