this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026
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I’m so confused. Can someone explain this one to me? It just looks like someone is playing a phone game or DS or something. Don’t people play phone games still or is that the joke?
Its consider cringe by "the youths" to be out in public playing a handheld game console.
Interesting, so being into ad-infested, freemium mobile games is okay, but being into real games that you can play straight through without interruptions is cringe?
I'm suddenly glad to be an adult.
At least according to the three children im around on a regular basis, phone games are also in the category of "cringe things that are boomer-coded"
That's super interesting. I would have assumed most kids nowadays were completely addicted shitty mobile games and playing on the go would be the norm.
I did too, but apparently its "for babies"
Are they just opposed to the concept of games itself? Wow, what a way to have a childhood.
They seem to be against playing it in public, not the game it self
Kids these days have it bad for games.
The fact that they think like that is cringe in and of itself.
Strong agree, cringe culture is cringe
Why?
Getting a solid answer on that from teenagers is basically not possible. They live life based on "vibes", and the vibes are cringe
Huh. There aren't many teenagers in my life but the two who matter to me (my nephews) have always been pro-video-game.
The ones i know love gaming, but doing it in public is cringe to them
I guess I don't go out in public, so I wouldn't know.
Its better that way. Outside kinda sucks these days
Have you ever heard of / read House of Stairs by William Sleator?
Nope, but ill add it to the reading list.
I only mentioned it because there's a part wherein one of the protagonists mentions going outside involving a gas mask. Seemed relevant.
Partly because extreme self consciousness has become normal in the era where abnormalities can get you recorded and posted on the internet for mockery.
Like I get it, I have an anxiety disorder and cptsd and was bullied as a kid all of which combine to a form of extreme self consciousness. But my fear of playing my steam deck in a laundromat or on the bus is what's left of what was at a much less healthy stage of life a fear of going to the grocery store or browsing in a shop for more than exactly what I went in for (ok I still struggle with that one).
It's mental illness that certain corners of the internet, 4chan especially, have not only normalized, but gone so far as to encourage in each other and likely induce. Also given that it's 4chan it probably originates with self consciousness from failure to understand social rules and expectations and the policing of themselves extending to policing of others
Repeat after me, IDGAF. And I know that doesn't fix everything, especially not the world, but for some people, some of the time, it can help. Make it a mantra for a while, until it's served it's purpose (you can go too far). Also, stay off 4chan (obvs).
Well yeah, I personally prefer CBT for it, given that it rarely appears alone.
Also valid.
lol what. instead of what, looking at a dipshit taking pictures of strangers the entire commute?
i am the youth, nobody thinks this and in fact playing with a game console versus a phone is in fact even a fashion or cultural statement that people think is cool
Well i know two teenagers that disagree with you
i can assure you that my impression of the youth is more encompassing than yours
See but i cant take that at face value, you are an unconfirmed youth, the youths i see are confirmed youths.
You could be some dude in his 40s larping, so ill take their anecdotes over yours
Note: i do not want proof do not send me pictures
also keep in mind that what teenagers (including me) tell adults is often not what we actually think, for various reasons
Then how can we trust that you're telling us what you actually think now? Maybe you do think it's cringe and want to encourage old people to do it just because that is funny. I'm on to you sonny boy.
You shouldnt really trust what anyone says on the internet, imo. But consoder this from my perspective: multiple children have told me whats up irl, one person who may or may not be a teenager disagrees with that. Thats 3 real vs one hypothetical child. I was piping up bc someone asked, but that person shouldnt take anything i (or anyone on the internet) says as anything but an anecdote.
FTFY
For a lot of young people, the cultural norm is that any kind of sincerity is cringe.
I was talking about this with a friend recently, but is there any culture for 13 year olds anymore? What music do they listen to? Because when I was a teenager, a mere decade ago, there was still a distinct youth subculture that I just don't think exists anymore.
None of this is to shake my fist at a cloud and say things were better back in my day. But I do think that Covid, the proliferation of algorithmic social media, and the death of third places, have all contributed to a generation of kids who think going outside and having a nice time is insufferably cringe, when they should be going to an all ages punk show, wearing stupid clothes, and having experiences
I have taken my kids to some pretty small concerts, that they asked for rides to, that garage band scene is still around it's just not our scene anymore, right? The main difference I found is that my kids wanted to share the music with me, wanted me to go see it with them and my God I would never have done that with my mom.
So thankful they grew up and do wear stupid clothes (and sometimes awesome costumes for conventions). In our family there's a gender split - the boys & men including the trans one are less about going out, the girls & women are all more into going out to shows & events.
Sweet. Thanks for the perspective.
Yes they think sincerity is cringe in most circumstances, but i wouldnt agree with any of your other points
Ironically, the real cringe is giving a fuck what anyone dictating what is cringe thinks. Especially kids to today that didn't have shit like lawn darts and unsupervised outdoor activity to filter out some of the dumbest ones and teach life lessons.
This must be devastating for the Switch which also happens to be nearly tied for best selling console of all time.