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Megan Emilia Martins
Megan Emilia Martins
AU190041
In simple words, 'Cringe Culture' refers to the making fun of people and insulting them by calling them 'cringey' (which is a term used to describe something distasteful and not exactly pleasing to the eye). Most of this insulting and degrading is done via the internet and social media platforms. Celebrities are always under the microscope and being called out for minor mistakes. However, it is people from other communities that suffer more. Aside from facing their own internal struggles and struggles in their real life, they are faced with constant harsh criticism from the haters online. Cringe culture did not start off on the internet, but it has advanced with the advent of it. People from the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities should not have to face internet trolls for the way they live their lives, but this is the sad reality that must indeed be brought to an end.
In simple words, 'Cringe Culture' refers to the making fun of people and insulting them by calling them 'cringey' (which is a term used to describe something distasteful and not exactly pleasing to the eye). Most of this insulting and degrading is done via the internet and social media platforms. Celebrities are always under the microscope and being called out for minor mistakes. However, it is people from other communities that suffer more. Aside from facing their own internal struggles and struggles in their real life, they are faced with constant harsh criticism from the haters online. Cringe culture did not start off on the internet, but it has advanced with the advent of it. People from the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities should not have to face internet trolls for the way they live their lives, but this is the sad reality that must indeed be brought to an end.
how long have we been cringe-ing for?
how long have we been cringe-ing for?
There has been a phase in everyone's life, that when looked at in hindsight, makes their body contort in a feeling of shame and disgust at their past decision. This act of contorting and feeling a sense of shame, is often referred to as 'cringe'. It went from being a verb, to being used as an adjective. One five letter word, a feeling that cannot be explained- cringe. The curl of the upper lip, wrinkling of the nose, the side to side shake of the head. That's how it feels. The history of cringe is deep rooted in social submission and wanting to seem socially acceptable and 'cool'. Nobody wants to be socially rejected, and therefor. they fear to fall under the banner of 'cringe'.
Unfortunately, nowadays, people cringe for no good reason, and only in an attempt to make other people feel bad about themselves and to call out the insecurities of other people. People have become too comfortable behind their screens and think it is okay to make people feel badly abut themselves. That is what the media has been doing for ages. It started with tabloid and magazines and has now transferred to the internet means.
Cringe culture affects the minority communities more than regular people
Cringe culture affects the minority communities more than regular people
Cringe culture hates anything outside of the norm and bullies people for harmless things. It especially likes laughing at and mocking queer and neurodivergent expression. Cringe used to be about feeling second-hand shame, so naturally, there'd be an element of empathy and/or sympathy involved, instead of today's vitriol. It is somehow ironic to see that as the world is evolving, it is also devolving in terms of how people choose to accept one another and how they treat their choices. People from the queer and disabled communities already live their lives knowing that they are different and not considered 'normal', and they also have to face the unhinged, heartless criticism from strangers around the world, to boot. There is nothing remotely cringey about the way people to choose to express their sexuality and/or their identities. It is each one's choice and it is the bare minimum humane thing to accept them and be kind.
Coming to people with disabilities, there is nothing more infuriating than seeing someone be bullied for something they were born with and have no control over. Aside from living their lives knowing that they will never be considered normal, they also have to deal with an unnecessary amount of hatred spewed by strangers that will never understand their struggles. For people battling with physical and psychological conditions, it is not an easy feat to fit into society and be accepted for who they are. Instead, they are made to feel like outcasts and that they don't belong in any community.
Why do people on the internet have so much power?
Why do people on the internet have so much power?
There's a simple answer- Anonymity. The benefit of being anonymous and not having anyone know how much of a horrible human being one is, has pushed this privilege to the very extremes. There is always the constant debate about whether easy access to the internet is a boon or bane to society and while there may be more prod that outweigh the cons, when it comes to bullying and ragging people over the internet, it is definitely not an entirely safe space. The internet has given people the liberty to hurt other people's feelings without any considering for the consequences. Internet trolling has reached severe extremities that have led to people taking their own life, simple because thy could not handle the turmoil of being made fun of and not having anyone to confide in.
For people from the queer communities and/or people with disabilities, some of them deal with struggles in their personal lives; with the people physically around them, family members, friends, etc. In times like this, they turn to the internet to find solace. However, when they turn to the internet, they are trolled for expressing themselves in the way they want to. People from the queer community have always been getting hate for who they are and it saddening to see that there is barely any difference in the attitudes of people despite all the awareness and attempts to change mindsets.
References
References
Kalia, Saumya. “A Cultural History of ‘cringe,’ and How the Internet Made Everything Awkward.” The Swaddle, 20 May 2022, https://theswaddle.com/a-cultural-history-of-cringe-and-how-the-internet-made-everything-awkward/.
“What People Really Mean When They Call You Cringe….” Reddit, https://www.reddit.com/r/lgbt/comments/p15g14/what_people_really_mean_when_they_call_you_cringe/. Accessed 1 July 2022.
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