Cringeworthy Study: America’s Most “Ick” Social Media Users
Duck face and peace signs or Lomo-filtered photos – the cringe of social media is no new phenomenon. That said, trends now move at the speed of light on social media. Hopping on the wrong trend or sticking with the classics (looking at you, #mancrushmonday) could put you into the cringe category.
But what internet behavior isn’t very demure or mindful? In a world of content overload, we wanted to decipher the cringe from the cool and, of course, determine the most ick-inducing social media users in the US. Following a study of 3,000 Americans, we asked about social media behavior, posts, trends, etc. that they deemed “cringe.”
Key Findings:
- Iowa ranked as the #1 most “cringe-worthy” social media users by 69%
- Los Angeles named cringiest social media capital of the US
- Americans agree that captioning cliche quotes is the most cringe social media behavior
The cringiest social media users live in…
According to a 2023 Statista report, the US has the most influencers globally at over 58 million. Such influence comes with its fair share of ick, of course. Another study finds that 54% of Gen Z Americans want to be social media influencers. So, as the youth (and not so youth) try to make it into the influencer circle, which ones are posting the ick? One state stands out and it’s not what you’d expect.
Iowa ranked as the #1 most “cringe-worthy” social media users by 69%. Nationally, social media users agreed that lip-syncing songs on stories is the cringiest behavior of all, but 85% of Iowans think it’s fine. Perhaps that’s why the rest of the nation is giving Iowa the bombastic side-eye.
“The Live Free or Die” state also comes into focus. New Hampshire placed 2nd for cringiest social media usage. So, what’re they posting about if not Ivy League schools and nature? 45% agreed with the nation that lip-syncing in stories is the cringiest thing you can do, but 67% of New Hampshirites participated in other cringe-inducing social media behavior like overly filtered photos and the oh-so-original #throwbackthursday pictures.
Headed down the East Coast, you’ll find our third contender for cringe. Georgia may be as sweet as a peach, but it’s also as cringe as its Coca-Cola brag. Georgia ranked #3 most cringe-inducing social media usage, as 64% of its residents partake in ick-like Instagram behavior. Namely, outfits of the day (OOTD) and contest reshares that, chances are, they won’t win despite tagging all 400 of their followers.
Where do the “cool kids” of social media reside?
Not everything online must be an eye roll. Some users have mastered the art of entertaining the internet and they tend to live closer together it turns out. New Mexico ranked #1 for least cringe social media usage. They got the memo that gym selfies and captioning your post “Adventure awaits” is something we can leave offline as only 25% of New Mexicans participate in cringe social media behavior.
D.C. comes in second place for its cool social media presence. Many DC residents dreamed of working on The Hill since they were in grade school, so they knew better than to post their personal lives online. Our nagging parents once told us “Everything you post online is permanent” and DC kids took that to heart. Their clean social media rap sheet helps them to earn the 2nd spot of non-cringe social media usage.
This next state puts the Cajun in cool. Louisiana ranked #3 coolest social media users in the US. Think of them as the cooler older sibling to the Florida Man and you’ll understand why they rank so high. With only 35% of its users partaking in the typical cringe behavior, we can understand why they earn their cool card.
Cities with the cringiest social media posters
What about the social hubs of the US? With cocktail bars and photo ops abound in the more metropolitan areas, we wanted to know the cities with the cringiest social media usage.
Movie stars and Nepo babies are no match for LA’s cringiest social media users. Coming out as the #1 most ick-inducing city for social media usage, Los Angeles takes the cringe cake. Where the top trending Twitter hashtags for the rest of the country right now are the Democratic National Convention and Joe Biden, LA is focusing on the more important stuff like #loveislandusa and #fullmooninaquarius. Maybe it’s best you keep your Erewhon haul videos to yourselves, LA.
2nd place goes to Seattle, Washington where 78% of its social media posters participated in “cringe behavior.” The pinnacle (or should we say Pike-acle) of “basic Instagram girl” – Seattle is Starbucks’ birthplace which could clue into why it earned second place.
Nicknamed the “Music City”, Nashville takes 3rd place as most cringiest city on social media. 75% of its residents aren’t shy to lip-syncing on stories (hey, they’re just trying to make their big break!) or posting overused Dolly quotes like, “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
Special mentions go to the other cringe-worthy cities on the list:
4. New York City – 69%
5. Orlando – 67%
6. Salt Lake City – 66%
7. Tucson – 65%
8. Atlanta – 64%
9. Tampa – 60%
10. Dallas 58%
National trends we find “cringe”
Now that we’ve roasted half the United States, let’s talk about cringe at the national level. There are some things we all agree are “ew, why” and some that are passable. Here’s the ranking list of most to least cringe things on social media according to Americans:
- Captioning cliche quotes like “good vibes only”
- Lip-syncing to songs in their stories
- Overly filtered or photoshopped pictures
- Recreating TikTok dances
- Themed day posts like #motivationmonday or #throwbackthursday
- Gym selfies
- Get Ready With Me (GRWM) videos
- People who reshare contests
- Boomerangs
- Outfit of the Day (OOTD) posts
That’s not to say you can’t post “If he’s stupid enough to walk away, be smart enough to let him” after your break-up, just know it might be a little…cringe for your followers. As for your snazzy new ‘fit? OOTD your heart out!
Don’t do this cringe-inducing trend while traveling
When do we post the most on social media? Vacation of course! It’s hard to resist a humble brag about your all-inclusive Cancun vacation or a selfie during your European summer tour, but some travel posts are better in the drafts than on the feed. In ranking order, here are the most to least cringey things you can post while traveling:
- “Catch flights, not feelings” in the caption – 30%
- Posting a picture of just their legs at a pool/beach – 21%
- “How’s your Monday going” or “Beats a day in the office” – 20%
- Posting a picture of their passport on the plane/airport – 15%
- “Mentally I’m here” posts after their vacation – 14%
We know it’s tempting to show your ex just how fine you are by posting your “catch flights, not feelings” selfie, but it’s probably better if you don’t. “Mentally I’m here” ranked as the least cringe, but physically you’re not, so your followers probably don’t want to hear about it.
What is Brat? The jury is still out
Brat summer to the internet by storm. But what is brat? We took to the masses to ask them to define “brat” and here’s what the US thinks brat is:
- Poor behavior, acting out – 61%
- Internet slang for “cool” – 18%
- A type of doll – 12%
- Brat diet: Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast – 5%
The remaining 5% consisted of Kamala Harris, a sexual innuendo, or bratwurst. Some Americans associate it with Charlie XCX, and some think it’s a sausage – what a concept!
Summary
Just remember it used to be cool to “poke” people on Facebook and now the thought of it would make your stomach turn, so be who you are and post what you feel because it’s just the internet! Americans come together to agree on the most and least cringe social media behaviors, but if you and your friends “lol” and “lmao” at what you post then you should just throw caution and cringe to the wind.
Methodology
In August 2024, we surveyed 3,000 U.S. residents about their social media habits and what they deemed the most “cringe”. The representative sample comprised of 53.2% female, 45% male, >2% non-binary, transgender, and/or other.
Fair Use
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