Redefining "cringe" on a Gen Z internet
How being cool became embarrassing.
Keep scrolling for a deep dive into some of the internet’s favourite taste-makers.
An infinitely expanding universe of musclemen
If you’ve been online this past week, you might have noticed that rubbing a banana peel on your face, drinking from a Saratoga glass water bottle, and dunking your head in ice water have somehow become the epitome of masculinity. In a new edition of the Garbage Day newsletter, Ryan Broderick explores the video that started it all — a viral morning routine posted by fitness influencer Ashton Hall.
In the video, Ashton is already up before 4am. He starts his day by peeling off his mouth and nose tape, brushing his teeth, working out, swimming— among other things— while timestamping each step of his intense routine.
Originally posted to his Instagram back in February, the video was captioned: “Day 191 of the morning routine that changed my life. 3:50am to 9:30am. Sin lives late at night.. if you’re dealing with a weak mind, bad decisions, or lack of productivity go to sleep early.”
Naturally, the video sparked plenty of discussion. With many people finding the routine absurd, Broderick suggests it might actually be engineered for engagement.
“[Ashton’s video] is essentially a checklist of weird Instagram shit,” he writes. “A dizzying mix of products and behaviors that make no sense and that no normal person would ever actually use or try, either because Hall figured out that they’re good for engagement on his page or because he saw them in other videos because they were good for those creators’ engagement.”
But beyond just laughing at Ashton’s (perhaps) extreme habits, there’s been a broader discussion about what it means when this is the kind of aspirational content young boys consume. This hyper-disciplined lifestyle is being held up as a blueprint for masculinity— something that commentator and influencer Matt Bernstein explored in a viral thread on X.
In a series of tweets, Matt made the comparison between Ashton’s alpha male content and Tradwives— claiming they both represent a return to conservatism and the ideal performance of gender norms.
“i can’t stop thinking about this video. 15 years ago this routine would get you called gay (or “metrosexual”) but is now considered peak alpha male behavior. something weird has shifted…” Matt begins.
Ashton’s routine and content also bears a strong resemblance to looksmaxxing, a manosphere-based obsessed with achieving physical perfection. Arguably, this type of alpha male content can serve as a slippery slope into the darker corners of the internet like incel ideology.
Read the breakdown via Garbage Day.
Being afraid of “cringe” is a result of being conservative
Where some see Ashton Hall as the blueprint, others see his content as cringe. Speaking of all things cringe, one TikTok creator (@oogieshaboogiesha) has taken to the platform to dissect what it means to be cringe and why Gen Z is just so terrified of it.
In their viral TikTok, which has racked up over 600K views and 3,000 comments in the past week, they argue that young people’s fear of being cringe is directly linked to the rise of conservatism in digital spaces.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that conservative content is dominating social media. Whether it’s red-pilled ideology, the manosphere, or tradwifery, both creators and platforms are leaning into traditional values and aesthetics.
According to @oogieshaboogiesha, this shift has created a toxic environment that normalises restrictive beliefs and discourages self-expression.
“Kids are becoming mean again… it's because everything is more conservative and you are judged for being different,” they say.
Over the past few years, the word cringe has been weaponised. It was once used to describe secondhand embarrassment, but now, it’s a tool for shaming any form of individuality.
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From a political lens, conservatism values tradition and resists change. In a culture increasingly shaped by these ideals, young people have become hyper-aware of how they present themselves, often choosing to conform rather than risk standing out.
“Being afraid of standing out and being cringey is relating you to being more conservative, because you don’t want to stand out, you don’t want to be loud, you don’t want to be embarrassing. You don’t want to be your own person, you don’t want to have a voice, you don’t want to stand,” they continue.
Watch the full video via TikTok.
The internet’s faceless tastemakers - unmasked
What is and isn’t cringe may shape how Gen Z navigates the internet, but this mentality doesn’t define digital culture. While mainstream influencers are often credited with shaping online trends, significant power lies elsewhere. Meme accounts, cultural commentators and other anonymous “shitposters” play an important (but often overlooked) role in driving internet culture. In a profile for i-D’s The Unknown Issue, Alex Kessler interviews seven creators who transitioned from “shitposters’ (for a lack of a better term) to influential voices shaping online discourse.
Run by semi-enigmatic “admins,” these (often anonymous) creators have managed to take the chaos of the internet and use it to spark discussions about broader cultural and societal issues.
Kessler notes that faceless media exists in many forms— from podcasts to meme accounts. Not only are these platforms more diverse than ever, but they’re also growing in influence.
As he explains, “You probably learnt about the latest political scandal, global crisis, or red-carpet blunder through a meme or facetious X post (you’ll hear it on Pop Crave before the evening news).”
From the likes of “Bald Ann Dowd”, “The Kimbino” and “Meltdown Your Books”, Kessler explores the experiences of those behind some of the internet’s most “shitposters” and commentary accounts— unpacking how they found success online.
Many explain themselves to be chronically online or involved in pop culture; “Fandom culture shaped my entire adolescence”, explained Alison Sivitz, the admin behind the infamous Twitter account, Bald Ann Dowd.
Many of these admins credit their success to the COVID-19 pandemic— or more specifically, the internet culture that emerged during that time. With the world in a state of uncertainty, their accounts became a source of both education and entertainment.
The admins behind Patia’s Fantasy World, for example, told Kessler that they went viral during this time. And Biz Sherbert from Nymphet Alumni questioned whether the podcast “would exist without that specific lockdown vibe.”
While some of these accounts are personality-driven, others see anonymity as essential to their mental well-being. Though some eventually choose to reveal their identities, the transition can be challenging and often comes with its own pressures.
Sam Rhodehamel from “On a Downward Spiral” explained his decision to return to anonymity, “We started anonymously, but revealing myself during its peak brought too much attention. I went back to anonymity so I could post for fun again.”
Read all the interviews via i-D.
’Stream sniping’ has become a nightmare for IRL creators
The strain of revealing one’s identity online is clear through the experiences of streamers, who often face intense scrutiny and even attacks. A case in point is stream sniping. In an article for Rolling Stone, Alyssa Mercante explores the phenomenon and how it has evolved.
For context, earlier this month three female Twitch streamers, including Valkyrae—who has over 1.4 million followers— were approached by a man during a live stream on Santa Monica Pier. After they rejected his request for their phone numbers, the man threatened to kill them.
This pattern of behaviour, known as “stream sniping,” has become more common with the rise of streaming platforms like Twitch and TikTok Live. What started as viewers locating a creator within a game has quickly evolved into tracking a streamer’s location during an IRL stream in attempts to get on camera— or, in more serious cases, to threaten or even attack the streamer.
“Though in-game stream sniping can range from funny to annoying, things can get dangerous when the practice transitions into the real world,” Mercante adds.
The stream sniping issue has become particularly concerning for streamers, who must now be careful about avoiding dangerous or life-threatening situations. As a result, many have been forced to adopt preventative measures to ensure their safety.
“The common tactics suggested by fellow streamers or in community message boards include avoiding streaming in spaces with easily identifiable landmarks, street signs, addresses, or easily searchable businesses, and not showing the exterior areas near where you live, in case bad actors are attempting to discover your address,” Mercante explains.
While many male streamers, including iShowSpeed and Hasanabi, have faced stream sniping incidents, female streamers are especially vulnerable to this kind of harassment on stream. Beyond sniping, women are also at a greater risk of doxxing and swatting.
In an journal article written by Assistant Professor Stine Eckert and PhD candidate Jade Metzger-Riftkin, the academics share that “Women are more likely to receive greater amounts of unwanted, vitriolic, and sexualized messages, to be the targets of cyber-mobbing or brigading, revenge porn, nude leaked messages, and receive unwanted sexualized items.”
Read more via the Rolling Stone.
How influencers and politicians built an unregulated supplement empire
In a new piece for Mashable, Christianna Silva explores how creators have become a driving force in health and wellness— particularly as many social media users turn to their favourite influencers for advice about which supplements they should take (much to the dismay of health professionals worldwide).
Like other purchasing categories, creators have begun informing viewers about which medications to take and which vitamins to consume to maintain their health. While it may be one thing for a creator to recommend a lipstick, supplements are an entirely different ballpark.
A 2024 study from the National Library of Medicine found “that about a third of respondents purchased health products like supplements based on influencer recommendations, while 40 per cent followed influencers for health information.”
Of course, this can have serious consequences for consumers who turn to uninformed individuals for health advice. These influencers frequently promote distrust in well-established, scientifically proven medicine and treatment options, spreading misinformation and potentially causing harm to many in the process.
"This idea of individualism — you can't turn to public health and the healthcare system, you need to take care of your own health, boost your own immune system — is a ludicrous idea to begin with, especially when it leads to unregulated supplement use," Silva writes.
What’s even more concerning is that some influencers aren't promoting these products because they genuinely believe in them— but rather because they are partnered with the brand. These sponsorships often generate significant revenue, making such a collaboration advantageous for both the influencer and the company.
“Both influencers and supplement companies see massive profit margins from social media promotion. It's mutually beneficial, even if it's harmful to everyone else,” she continues.
The so-called unregulated supplement market has essentially become normalised in the United States, especially with the rise of the Trump administration. The inclusion of figures like RFK Jr. in the administration has only served to contribute to the delegitimisation of medical professionals and their advice.
Pointing to one example, Silva writes, “RFK Jr., a longtime advocate for supplements, has gone so far as to claim that some supplements could stop measles — though experts maintain the best way to prevent measles is through vaccination.”
Read more via Mashable.
Some other bits
Internet culture is culture (!), with 56% of Gen Zs and 43% of Millennials saying online content is “more relevant than traditional TV shows and movies” in new research by Deloitte.
Worldwide downloads for Signal have had a 28% increase since the communications scandal coming out of the Trump administration, according to reporting from TechCrunch.
BookTok is making its way into Gen Z dating, with Tinder revealing a 19% increase in the number of people mentioning ‘reading’ in their Tinder bios between 2023 and 2024.
After Ashton Hall’s viral video, Saratoga Water saw a 1,379% increase in Google searches following the viral ‘morning routine’ video, as reported by Dexerto.
Despite the allegations of mistreatment and harassment, casting has started for Beast Games Season 2, with the cash prize increasing from $10 million to $15 million.