There are plenty of things on the internet nowadays that might make you cringe. You may open TikTok to be bombarded with videos of a coworker performing trending dances. You might go on Instagram and see dozens of stories posted by a former classmate who’s going through a messy breakup. And you may innocently go on Facebook to find the platform pushing “memories” that are just embarrassing photos of yourself from middle school.
We all know how it feels to cringe. But what you might be curious about is why some people seem to enjoy it, while others can’t get away from it fast enough. BigThink published an article exploring why some people love cringe comedy, like The Office, and they pointed out that it tends to exploit our social awareness.
To survive in society, we all have to abide by dozens of spoken and unspoken rules. But cringe content intentionally flies in the face of everything we’ve been told we’re allowed to do in public. A part of us might enjoy the thrill of watching someone else do something that we would never be bold enough to do ourselves.
But another part of us might enjoy this content because it strangely prepares us for worst-case scenarios. We might have second-hand embarrassment for the characters involved, but by experiencing this, we might be better at controlling our own embarrassment and shame when we inevitably do something cringe in our own lives.
However, not everyone has the same reaction to cringe content. Natalie Wynn, the creator of ContraPoints on YouTube, noted that instead of empathizing with the cringey individuals, some people engage in “contemptuous cringe". This is when people feel annoyed or disgusted by another person’s behavior. They might even experience schadenfreude. If you’re looking to expand viewers’ empathy levels, this is not the best route to take.
The Established also published a piece discussing cringe content, where they noted that some voyeurs enjoy it because it makes them feel a sense of superiority. When you watch reality TV stars whose romantic relationships are hot messes, you might start to feel like you really have your own life together. This kind of content might be entertaining and cringey, yet also a bit comforting.
On the other hand, if you’re self-aware, cringe content might result in some necessary self-reflection. You might be so uncomfortable watching people make terrible decisions or behave awkwardly in public because you see yourself in them. Instead of running from that discomfort, it might be a good idea to investigate where it’s coming from and see what you can do to accept your own cringe.
According to Melissa Dahl at The Guardian, there might be some more unexpected benefits of cringing. She points out that most people attempt to avoid embarrassment at all costs. But if we actually go out of our way to experience it more often, we might become immune to it.
“I’ve come to think of cringe as a necessary reminder of the sheer absurdity of being human,” Dahl writes. “If you can learn to appreciate this feeling – if you can learn to laugh at it, and at yourself – you’ll find more joy in your life. I hope I never stop cringing at myself.”
