Small talk can be awkward and boring. It’s also a requisite skill to learn to participate as a socially adept person in society—as well as the workplace. But mustering “So, where are you going for lunch?” to that one guy from sales in the elevator might be a no-go for the workforce’s youngest members.
In a discussion sparked by a viral TikTok, many have dubbed the ritualistic nicety as “cringe”—Gen Z’s go-to dig for anything perceived as try-hard or uncool. In the TikTok skit (with nearly 3 million views), the user acts out a conversation in which every attempt at small talk is brusquely shut down, mixed with plenty of drawn-out “umms” and eye rolls.
“POV: You’re trying to talk to people in 2025,” the text over the video reads. Off camera, a chipper voice asks the woman on-screen: “So what do you do for work?” “Ummmm . . . stuff,” she replies.
The skit struck a chord.
Some users related to the reluctance to shoot the breeze. “This is what they meant by the Gen Z stare, guys. We do in fact do this,” one commented. Another chimed in: “WRAP IT UP.” And another, simply: “I hate everyone.”
But not all were on board with the message. In fact, most people in the comments expressed frustration with the woman on-screen; even other Gen Zers in the comments said this behavior among their peers is odd.
“Why do they always think basic human interaction is so embarrassing. They’re the ones making it embarrassing,” one user commented. “Me, an old Gen Z, talking to young Gen Z,” wrote another. Another asked: “Is talking cringe now?”
On the subreddit r/TikTokCringe, more people confirmed witnessing this behavior in their coworkers, employees, or students. “I am an assistant teacher at a college, and I can confirm half of the students I have that are 18-20 are like this to talk to,” one wrote.
Some speculated if the bad small talk skills are a growing-up-during-COVID symptom, a growing-up-on-the-internet symptom, a state-of-the-world symptom, or a combination of all of the above.
“It’s a nonchalant epidemic,” one Reddit user wrote. “They can’t seem like they enjoy anything or have a personality because that would be cringe.” Another said: “An entire generation socially crippled with debilitating fear of ‘cringe.’”
Older generations taking umbrage with the youth of today is nothing new. In fact, it is a rite of passage. But this idea of Gen Z having complicated feelings about small talk has started to trend, from talk shows to news sites.
Ocean Vuong, the poet and essayist, recently declared that “cringe culture” is holding young people back from enjoying life and pursuing their goals, whether that be in their careers or personal lives.
In January, a survey of 2,000 working adults in the U.K. found that 40% of Gen Z struggle with light conversation at work, preferring to communicate online. This suggests that Gen Z’s aversion to small talk goes beyond just thinking it’s inauthentic or lame.
The consequences of this fear—particularly in the workplace, which rewards visibility, risk-taking, and speaking up—are clear. A 2024 survey found that Gen Z workers are at higher risk of being fired, and 1 in 6 employers are reportedly hesitant to hire Gen Zers. The survey cites poor soft skills, like communication—possibly a result of isolation during the pandemic—as being one of the main issues.
Plus, young people who have grown up watching others scrutinized and torn apart online for putting themselves out there have been conditioned to avoid the appearance of earnestness or effort—even for an act as simple as conversing with a coworker . . . which they feel can come across as “cringe.”
But as every millennial well knows: To be cringe is to be free.