High school is strange time for most of us. We think we know everything, we want to be cool and idolized, and we conform to fit in, even if conforming really means doing something stupid, like smoking.
Still, as high schoolers, we thought all of this was cool. We did all sorts of stupid or inappropriate things, and either justified them, or didn’t even realize they needed to be justified.
However, we all grow up. Things we thought were cool as high schoolers are absolutely cringeworthy to us now. Redditors are only too eager to share what those things are.
It all started when Redditor crypto_wut asked:
“What is cool in the eyes of most high schoolers but is actually cringe?”
Uselessness Of High School Hierarchy
"Being popular for the wrong reasons. As soon as you graduate that starts over. Better not to rely on being popular and prepare."
– Hamfiter
"I remember this guy in high school who had a fearsome reputation. Him and his cousins would show up at parties, literally say, "Do you know who I am?" and attack people. People were terrified, and rightfully so, people were getting severely hurt."
"Anyways, I was in 11th grade, he was in 12th."
"Once he graduated high school, he would come swing by the high school often, smoke out front with his "friend's" and talk about how it was so great to graduate, he didn't have to get up early or do anything, etc. At first, everybody was like, "Cool, lucky!" and then it was like, "Heh...let's go back to class...""
– lazarus870
"I'm Real Grown Up!"
"Telling people how mature you are"
– pineapplewin
"When I was in high school there were some girls in one of my freshman/sophomore classes bragging about how mature they were because they had boyfriends who were older and would invite them to college parties. Like...no, your boyfriends are losers and you're just naïve.
– ArcticFox46
Teach Yourself To Be Kind
"Being rude to teachers. Every person who I know who was rebellious in school cringes hard when they think about the sh*t they said to teachers."
– WowThisIsAwkward_
"Being jerks to the teacher who just tries to do his\her job."
– Greedy-Ad-189
Not JUST A Prank
""It's just a prank bro" no, you're being an a**hole"
– bzaroworld
"I like to use the pie in the face test. Does it cause the person more inconvenience than a pie in the face, under normal circumstances? If yes, then it's not a prank, it's a crime."
– indrada90
Feel What You Feel
"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
Louder and Louder
"Being loud and obnoxious everywhere they go. Like dude no one thinks you’re or your friends are cool over there yelling penis because you think it’s funny."
– Activ_RefRigeRatoR
"I own a store kids frequent and I have had to tell them more than once to shush. The volume got so loud once an actual PAYING customer was uncomfortable."
– CalliopeKB
Be Who You Are...
"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
...And Not Who You Aren't
"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**ked with. No, it just makes you look like a complete tryhard."
– AlysonMazzoni
They Are
"Most high schoolers."
– Bacontoad
"Yup. The most awkward demographic that uses grunts to communicate."
– Pimp_Daddy_Patty
"I was gonna say “the word cringe” but yours’ better"
– jamieleeght
Faking It
"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
"Faking mental disorders and saying “OMG I HAVE DEPRESSION I AM SO QUIRKY” IN THAT EXACT SENTENCE"
– w0rms1nMyEy3S
That last one is pretty sickening. It’s a good thing high schoolers grow out of it.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
