Teens say we’re all using our phones wrong and it’s giving them the ‘ick’

Posted on : March 24, 2023
Teens say we’re all using our phones wrong and it’s giving them the ‘ick’
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    They say age is a source of wisdom, but for the youth of today, age is actually a source of 'ick'.

    According to a new survey, 'Gen Z' kids (anyone born from 1997 onwards) think older people are using their phones wrong and it's giving them 'the ick'.

    musicMagpie found that a quarter of Gen Z kids think overusing emojis is a 'massive ick', while replying to voice notes with a text message gives a whopping 29% of them the ick.

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    For the uninitiated, 'ick' refers to second-hand cringe you feel at someone else's actions. Lyndsey Murray, couples counsellor at Relationship Matters Therapy, explains: "People develop an ick when they feel second-hand embarassment by someone, or when they realise someone has a trait that they would never like to see again."

    With the definition of 'ick' firmly established, let's dive deeper on some of the ick-provoking practices seemingly widespread among anyone who can remember the Millennium or using actual buttons on phones.

    Apparently, a third of Gen Zers hate it when people overuse ellipses ('…') and it, like, totally makes them cringe. In comparison, only 8% of millennials said it's an ick, probably because we were actually taught grammar in schools rather than emojis.

    Gen Z also hate it when people type 'hahaha', with 21% of them calling it an 'ick'. 'LOL' or 'lol' is also long gone, having been an ick for years.

    Gen Z kids seemingly prefer to just mash all the keys on their keyboard when they want to convey laughter. For example: "djhdfasyhareuyiharegiearuhndfakgjnad [cry laugh cry laugh emoji]" (or would that be one too many emojis? Another ick…)

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    To save some time, here's some more icks to avoid if you want to be cool on your phone: using italics, sharing old memes, not having a TikTok, not using social media, reposting the same content on different platforms, commenting on celebrity's posts like you're friends, or going 'live' to tell people about some minor detail from your day.

    Weirdly, Gen Z kids are less embarrassed by things that are actually quite humiliating, such as someone posting a video of themselves crying on social media. Only 23% of them called it an ick compared to 26% of millennials.

    James Early, relationship and psychosexual therapist, has some advice for anyone who is experiencing the ick from others' smartphone practices: "In my experience, being open about an ick is probably the best way to deal with it. Don't forget that getting creeped out by stuff is your feeling, and the other person is not responsible for your icky response! Good luck."

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