Once the trendsetters of social media, fashion, and pop culture, millennials—those born between 1981 and 1996—now find themselves the target of a new wave of cultural mockery, often labeled as "cringe" by the younger Gen Z generation. But why did this shift happen, and what does it really say about how generations define "cool"? One major factor is the natural evolution of trends and tastes over time. What was fresh and edgy in the early 2000s or 2010s—think skinny jeans, “millennial pink,” avocado toast, and carefully curated Instagram feeds—now looks dated or overly rehearsed to Gen Z, who favor baggier clothes, more ironic humor, and fast-paced, unpolished social media styles like TikTok videos. Even small behaviors, such as millennials’ habit of the “millennial pause” in videos to check if recording started, have become emblematic of an out-of-touch generation trying hard to stay relevant.