There is a specific kind of pain reserved for the moment you realize you are no longer the “cool” demographic. For 32-year-old Lea, that moment didn’t come from a gray hair or a sore back—it came from the comment section.
Lea, who posts on TikTok as @laughinglea, told Newsweek she was baffled when commenters started labeling her content “cringey” and “Millennial core.”
“I had no idea what that meant,” she admitted. “I thought I was young and cool.”
Desperate for answers, she turned to the harshest critic available: her Gen Z sister. She asked for an unfiltered list of everything Millennials do that gives them the “ick.” The resulting list was a viral sensation that left an entire generation feeling personally attacked.
The “Cringe” List
According to Lea’s sister, the things Millennials view as standard behavior are actually dead giveaways of their age. The critique covered everything from fashion to digital mannerisms.
- The “Millennial Pause”: That split-second silence at the start of a video to make sure it’s recording? Unforgivable.
- The “French Tuck”: Tucking just the front of your shirt in was once a fashion hack; now it’s a relic.
- The Hashtags: Earnest tagging like #ThrowbackThursday or #blessed is out.
- The Faces: Pulling a goofy “ugly face” to show you don’t take yourself too seriously, or doing the peace-sign pout in photos, is considered trying too hard.
The Death of the Dance Floor
However, the most shocking revelation for Lea (and her viewers) concerned nightlife.
Lea’s sister informed her that the Millennial habit of “dressing to the nines” for a club is over. Gen Z prefers trainers and jeans to heels and dresses. But more importantly, the vibe has shifted.
According to Gen Z, big, expressive dancing is officially uncool.
“They’re not dancing either,” Lea shared in the video. “No waving your arms in the air like you don’t care. Arms down low. You should watch them in the club; they are not dancing.”
The Cultural Shift
Dr. Carolina Are, a social media researcher at Northumbria University, explained to The Guardian that this clash comes down to a shift in aesthetics.
“While millennials went through years of polished feeds and aesthetics… Gen Z seem to have settled on aesthetics that are a form of understated and chaotic curation,” she noted.
The Millennial Defense
Lea’s comment section quickly became a support group for 30-somethings who refused to accept the verdict. Many pointed out that the “cringe” habits were born out of necessity.
“We weren’t allowed to wear trainers into clubs; they wouldn’t let you in,” one user reminded the younger generation.
Others took a defiant stance against the “cool” nonchalance of Gen Z.
“So worried about appearances and being ‘cringe,’ they’re not living life,” another user wrote. “We’re gonna be dancing!”
If having fun means having “Millennial core” energy, this generation seems happy to keep their arms in the air.
Follow Lea (@laughinglea) on TikTok for more funny content.
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
