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30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It’s Cool

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As we grow and develop, our perspectives and opinions tend to change, often making us view some things completely differently than we used to; and that applies to everything, from favorite pasta to reading books, and beyond.

One common thing that people tend to view differently as children is people themselves. When you’re a kid, a 20-something-year-old might seem like they know what they’re doing, when you’re a teen, a 35-year-old might look old, and when you’re a freshman in high school, seniors might appear to be so much cooler than they often are.

Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community discussed views similar to the latter, after one user asked them what was something that seems cool in the eyes of most high schoolers but is actually cringe. Fellow redditors came up with many answers, including “high schoolers” themselves, so scroll down to find them and see what other things people have grown out of or into as they closed the awkward chapter of the high school years.

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#1

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Driving like an idiot/ having a loud car.

rebam92 , Adam Dubec / Pexels Report

Final score:

94points

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#2

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Discussing sex loudly with the purpose of having random strangers hear it as if that somehow is a sign of maturity.

TheFrailContents , kat wilcox / Pexels Report

Final score:

86points

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#3

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Vaping.

anon , Ruslan Alekso / Pexels Report

Final score:

86points

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#4

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Being rude to teachers. Every person who I know who was rebellious in school cringes hard when they think about the s**t they said to teachers.

WowThisIsAwkward_ , Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels Report

Final score:

83points

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#5

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Being loud and obnoxious everywhere they go. Like dude no one thinks you’re or your friends are cool over there yelling penis and moaning cause you think it’s funny.

Activ_RefRigeRatoR , cottonbro studio / Pexels Report

Final score:

82points

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#6

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Calling Millenials/any older generation cringe. They're also going to get old and seem cringe to the kids one day. It's the cycle of life.

frutilla96 , Monstera Production / Pexels Report

Final score:

71points

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#7

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool "It's just a prank bro" no, you're being an a*****e.

bzaroworld , RDNE Stock project / Pexels Report

Final score:

62points

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#8

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Worrying what other people think. The concept of “cool” in the first place.

My brother and I (in our early 30s) were watching a group of teenagers trying so hard to put on this cool, unemotional facade at Disneyland while everyone else around them just enjoyed themselves and we were laughing to ourselves that teenagers are so afraid of displaying emotion or passion and nobody else cares. But we all went through it, and we all reach the realization that it’s more fun to just enjoy ourselves.

Objective-Ad5620 , cottonbro studio / Pexels Report

Final score:

62points

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#9

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Blasting loud music in busses and public places.

AceOC , SCREEN POST / Pexels Report

Final score:

62points

Luke Branwen 8 months ago

And also, whenever someone is blasting loud music in public, it's ALWAYS the $hittiest music you've ever heard.

30points

Anikulapo 8 months ago

WHY IS THAT?!? Why is it never some sick funk beat?

3points

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BrookeBT 8 months ago

A lot of this seems like things our parents complained about. I agree with you...but you have heard of boom-boxes right?

5points

jett_mcm1 8 months ago

THIS. and 9 times out of 10 they'll play the worst music you've ever heard, and they'll say they're "expressing themselves"

1point

Dread Pirate Roberts 8 months ago

Always seemed to be rap or screamo >_<

1point

Javelina Poppers 8 months ago (edited)

Pulling up at a convenience store and going inside and leaving your music blasting out of the crappiest set of speakers ever made.

1point

Slim 864 GVG 8 months ago

That one really makes me insane. You have the freedom to listen to whatever you want, but you do NOT have the right to force me to lesson to it. The fact that older adults will pull up to next to me at the gas station, with 3 small children, and absolutely blast the most obscene music is a brazenly inconsiderate behavior. I could care the less what you listen to, but to forcing my young children to hear it is criminal. How about I pull up in front of your home, but in the road on public property, and just shout obscenities through a loudspeake in my car and see your reaction.

1point

Coral 8 months ago

I see adults doing this too, in super weird places like hiking trails. Even worse, just yesterday I was at the park with my kid and some 40-something guy was BLASTING some podcast while playing disc golf. Super obnoxious. He was alone, too. Why not headphones?

1point

Guess Undheit 7 months ago

There's nothing more satisfying than walking up behind those idiots and blasting Industrial or Death Metal into their ears. Even people who don't like my music appreciate me giving those ash soles a taste of their own medicine.

0points

Giulio Verdekiwi 8 months ago

AH! I remember when blasting loud music means carring a huge cassette stereo on your shoulder

0points

Steve Hall 8 months ago

That's been happening since portable radios were invented.

0points

C .Hunger 8 months ago

Ironically, this does not bother me as much as people talking on their phones with them on speaker when it is clearly not needed at all. At least with blaring music, you are trying to get yourself pumped up, enjoy life, etc.

0points

IamMe 8 months ago

9/10 Whenever I hear someone blasting loud music in public, it's an adult. Judging by the c**p coming out of their speakers, I suspect maybe they're hard of hearing, and need the volume up. Lol.

-2points

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#10

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool That one like, tikok haircut that guys get where they have like, no hair on the sides and then too much hair on top. No shade it's just douchey.

Ifoughtgodbehind711 , 12fa1jc Report

Final score:

62points

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#11

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Tiktok.

minisrugbycoach , cottonbro studio / Pexels Report

Final score:

61points

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#12

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Teens who think they know about anything in this world. I know it's a phase we all went through but it's very cringe listening to a kid lecture you on stuff theve never stopped to think about or arnt even capible of thinking about.

Yeti1987 , Max Fischer / Pexels Report

Final score:

61points

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#13

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool I wouldn’t say that this applies to the majority, but it does apply to a pretty decent amount at my school: saying slurs and barking at people they find weird (they really think it’s peak comedy).

BazongleMyDongle , Katerina Holmes / Pexels Report

Final score:

53points

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#14

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Hickeys or so I've been told.

I actually have no issue with them just so long as they're hidden.

MiaLedger , t788ta Report

Final score:

52points

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#15

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Pretending to have some type of disorder, like that makes them special. Like some how everyone has multiple personalities now, one of the rarest disorders of it's kind and everyone and their cousin suffers from it.

Top-Sprinkles6929 Report

Final score:

51points

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#16

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Doing things to gain other peoples approval..

Seriously, when you grow up and stop giving a f**k about other peoples opinions, life is so much better.

EndlesslyUnfinished , cottonbro studio / Pexels Report

Final score:

48points

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#17

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Telling people how mature you are.

pineapplewin , Julia M Cameron / Pexels Report

Final score:

47points

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#18

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Making fun of people. Like you're not funny, you're annoying and childish.

PinkMoneyy_ , Mikhail Nilov / Pexels Report

Final score:

46points

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#19

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Gossip at someone else’s expense.

haagendaz420 , Keira Burton / Pexels Report

Final score:

46points

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#20

Older you get the more you realize the one truly cool thing is the air conditioner.

k4Anarky Report

Final score:

46points

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#21

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Being d***s to the teacher who just tries to do his\her job.

Greedy-Ad-189 , Max Fischer / Pexels Report

Final score:

43points

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#22

Filming instead of helping.

J_Beyonder Report

Final score:

42points

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#23

Being 'edgy' and 'offensive' just for the sake of it.

Yeah, we get it. You think that mocking dead people or posting racist/sexist stuff on social media makes you a tough edgelord not to be f****d with. No, it just makes you look like a complete tryhard.

AlysonMazzoni Report

Final score:

39points

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#24

“I’m not like other girls”.

Final score:

39points

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#25

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Saying 'hashtag' in a spoken sentence, and not ironically.

StackerPentecost , Walls.io / Pexels Report

Final score:

38points

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#26

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool The lifestyle of being "young and reckless".

Having an addiction to d***s is not cool.
Being in codependent relationships is not cool.
Having sex in bathroom stalls and on a couch stored behind the theater stage is not cool.
Its just gross.
Skipping class is not cool.
I don't even know why people skipped classes at my high school. There was literally nothing to do but loiter in a bathroom.

Just enjoy your time not paying bills and be as self-centered for as long as you can.

Various-Smell-1657 , Pixabay / Pexels Report

Final score:

36points

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#27

Calling themselves an Alpha male or Redpill and Calling random people npcs.

AlbanianPatriot7893 Report

Final score:

35points

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#28

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Bullying. For example, that thing where they comment "oh" on peoples posts and then claim to "just be saying oh." Everyone knows it's not innocent, it's done with the purpose of making the poster feel insecure or dumb. Just things that can be played off as small, but that they know will have a bigger impact.

Does anyone know what Im talking about? I really dont know how to explain this.

Delicious-Carpet-3 , Mikhail Nilov / Pexels Report

Final score:

31points

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#29

Calling things 'cringe'.

ThatOtherSilentOne Report

Final score:

29points

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#30

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Binge drinking. It's fairly prevalent and accepted within a lot of social circles when you’re in your 20s. You know, those nights out with your buddies when you pre-game, go to the bar and order a few rounds of shots, and let the night take you where the alcohol fuel leads. This feels progressively out of place as you move into your 30s and beyond.

spicy_potatochip , Pixabay / Pexels Report

Final score:

29points

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#31

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Using mature language to sound smart. Anyone can string together a bunch of big words, doesn’t make you intelligent.

tenaciousDaniel , Eliott Reyna / Unsplash Report

Final score:

21points

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#32

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Sleep deprivation. I loved pulling all nighters as a teen and young adult. Now, they just give me migraines and make the entire subsequent day hell.

totoropoko , Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Report

Final score:

20points

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#33

Bragging about how much weed you smoke or how much you drink.

_Arcsine_ Report

Final score:

19points

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#34

Flipping off the camera when you get your picture taken.

slightofhand1 Report

Final score:

19points

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#35

Disrespecting other people for no reason.

Final score:

18points

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#36

The cringe culture. Just do whatever the f**k you want who cares.

Final score:

17points

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#37

Adults who hang out with them.

1copernic Report

Final score:

16points

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#38

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Being popular for the wrong reasons. As soon as you graduate that s**t starts over. Better not to rely on being popular and prepare.

Hamfiter , Yan Krukau / Pexels Report

Final score:

16points

#39

Using slang terms like “the fuzz” with reference to police or “bread” for money. Also, wearing bell-bottomed trousers and beads. (Note, I’ve been away from the high school scene for a while, so take this with a grain of salt, as it may be somewhat dated).

Final score:

16points

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#40

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Bailing on plans last minute. If you don’t want to do something, just say so.

freakanature , Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels Report

Final score:

16points

#41

Talking back to teachers and laughing in their faces, bullying others, smoking and drinking and then bragging about it. Acting "alter" when they are just following the trend and not really belong there.

Final score:

15points

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#42

Moaning in the middle of the class.

SunIsMaBestBoi Report

Final score:

14points

#43

Starting fights for no reason (at least in my school anyways).

Thepolygonisgone Report

Final score:

13points

#44

TikTok b******t.

Final score:

13points

#45

30 People Share Cringe Things High Schoolers Do While Thinking It's Cool Could say quite a few, but the best is probably - Not caring.

Being genuine even to the point of seeming uncool is an amazing personality trait in adulthood that some don’t get back until they are parents.

EidolonRook , Jakob Rosen / Unsplash Report

Final score:

12points

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#46

Putting people down

You best stop doing that s**t real quick cause it won;t score you points in college.

Simplordx69 Report

Final score:

12points

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#47

Crying on TikTok, or any kind of dancing on TikTok to something completely inappropriate, like a funeral or someone in a hospital bed fighting for their life.

ThoreauAway1900 Report

Final score:

11points

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#48

Insult humor as the primary way of interacting with your friends.

ACasualFormality Report

Final score:

11points

#49

Most high schoolers.

Bacontoad Report

Final score:

10points

#50

The concept of "cool".

Final score:

10points

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#51

Civics with loud mufflers.

flipflopsNL Report

Final score:

10points

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#52

Pretty much the whole persona they play to fit in.

You'll eventually grow out of it. The question is just when.

logickay Report

Final score:

9points

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#53

Guys who "get around" with lots of girls.

Final score:

8points

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#54

Yelling “Let’s gooooooooooooooooo!”.

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Final score:

4points

#55

Sleeping eight people to a hotel room to save money.

Final score:

-3points

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#56

Dating older guys.

OutrageousSea5212 Report

Final score:

-13points

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Miglė Miliūtė

A writer here at Bored Panda, I am a lover of good music, good food, and good company, which makes food-related topics and feel-good stories my favorite ones to cover. Passionate about traveling and concerts, I constantly seek occasions to visit places yet personally unexplored. I also enjoy spending free time outdoors, trying out different sports—even if I don’t look too graceful at it—or socializing over a cup of coffee.

A writer here at Bored Panda, I am a lover of good music, good food, and good company, which makes food-related topics and feel-good stories my favorite ones to cover. Passionate about traveling and concerts, I constantly seek occasions to visit places yet personally unexplored. I also enjoy spending free time outdoors, trying out different sports—even if I don’t look too graceful at it—or socializing over a cup of coffee.

Mindaugas Balčiauskas

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

I'm a visual editor at Bored Panda. I kickstart my day with a mug of coffee bigger than my head, ready to tackle Photoshop. I navigate through the digital jungle with finesse, fueled by bamboo breaks and caffeine kicks. When the workday winds down, you might catch me devouring bamboo snacks while binging on the latest TV show, gaming or I could be out in nature, soaking up the tranquility and communing with my inner panda.

What do you think ?

Tamra 8 months ago

How is it helpful to have an entire list dedicated to saying how cringey teenagers are, when I think it's commonly understood that should be the one time in our lives when we should receive a little more grace for being that way. Teen hormones are rough, peer pressure is rough, high school is rough. Give em a break.

21points

Sunflower Moon 8 months ago

I agree with BrookeBT, but also almost all of these (there are a few exceptions of course) adults still do. It appears some BPers are in denial that these things change but there are lots of cringey adults out there.

11points

BrookeBT 8 months ago

While I do agree with most of what is said on this post, I'm in my 40's and really the majority of this is things that are listed are not that bad. I find most kids I come across to be a lot more tolerant and accepting than my generation was. Yeah there are jerks, but there always are jerks. Things change. They always do - and that makes me happy. Better for kids to be doing what they want for a little while before they realize the world of hurt they are inheriting.

9points

Tyranamar 8 months ago

It sounds like a lot of these "adults" had boring teenage years.

3points

DrBronxx 8 months ago

"Aren't people who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world just so embarrassing?"

1point

shankShaw deReemer 8 months ago

Fighting is another one. It may be on the list, but BP won't always let me see half of the posts. This one I couldn't see the last 26. I hate when that happens.

0points

BlueBlazer999 8 months ago

Are you using the website? The button to view the rest is just below the last post. Just click the underlined “56 images” and the page will reload with all of them.

0points

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KillerKiwi 8 months ago

I’m not gonna lie most of these were things teenage boys do. They have so much confidence for absolutely no reason.

-2points

Tamra 8 months ago

How is it helpful to have an entire list dedicated to saying how cringey teenagers are, when I think it's commonly understood that should be the one time in our lives when we should receive a little more grace for being that way. Teen hormones are rough, peer pressure is rough, high school is rough. Give em a break.

21points

Sunflower Moon 8 months ago

I agree with BrookeBT, but also almost all of these (there are a few exceptions of course) adults still do. It appears some BPers are in denial that these things change but there are lots of cringey adults out there.

11points

BrookeBT 8 months ago

While I do agree with most of what is said on this post, I'm in my 40's and really the majority of this is things that are listed are not that bad. I find most kids I come across to be a lot more tolerant and accepting than my generation was. Yeah there are jerks, but there always are jerks. Things change. They always do - and that makes me happy. Better for kids to be doing what they want for a little while before they realize the world of hurt they are inheriting.

9points

Tyranamar 8 months ago

It sounds like a lot of these "adults" had boring teenage years.

3points

DrBronxx 8 months ago

"Aren't people who are trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into the world just so embarrassing?"

1point

shankShaw deReemer 8 months ago

Fighting is another one. It may be on the list, but BP won't always let me see half of the posts. This one I couldn't see the last 26. I hate when that happens.

0points

BlueBlazer999 8 months ago

Are you using the website? The button to view the rest is just below the last post. Just click the underlined “56 images” and the page will reload with all of them.

0points

Load More Replies...

KillerKiwi 8 months ago

I’m not gonna lie most of these were things teenage boys do. They have so much confidence for absolutely no reason.

-2points

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