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It's of no surprise that there's been some sort of shift in the general ethos of the internet, which went from a mostly optimistic disposition dotted with random, small disparate communties, as it was remembered, to having the cynical, centralized-yet-balkanized nature
it currently has. People seemingly post from a template of jokes, phrases, and memes which have a wide acceptance as "not-cringe" or "funny" whilst lambasting
anyone that becomes a little too sincere, too "unselfaware" as "cringe. " You've all probably encountered so of it first-hand, discord and social media being home to the worst of it by far. You may have even encountered
this behavior outside of online spaces. But why?
I have a theory: perhaps it's the slow creeping loss of anonymity everywhere which has brought this self-aware, ironic, cynical culture to a forefront. Allow me to explain.
The current popular malaise of irony has its origins between 2015 and 2016 with the rise of "cringe culture," being 'self-aware,' and the dumb e-celeb drama that
became fairly prevalant thereafter. Also a rise in political awareness and blacklisting over controversy. Now there's a separate, but related trend of online centralization via
social media, which only began ramping up post-2014,
Almost anybody can be looked up by anyone, regardless if it's a name or an account. Mix the hope to never be on the recieving end of internet bloodsports, drama, and
controversy with an ease of ability to find nearly anything on any account, and the result is this stilted, distanced mannerism you can find pretty much everywhere.
The use of irony is like a shield that protects them from any attacks on their person. Hell, it can even work both ways if the person using it can convince themselves that it "wasn't really me" to begin with. They can be held accountable for their word, even if out of context, so why even bother attempting sincerity if just makes them another potential target?
