11 Things That Used To Be Embarrassing But Are Actually Socially Acceptable Now
Embarrassment is a social construct.
GaudiLab | Shutterstock Social norms and stereotypes can feel all-consuming, subtly influencing the way we act, present ourselves, and even form our own personal identities. Alongside social media and the internet, the trend cycle and rapidly changing social norms can feel exceptionally overwhelming, especially for younger generations like Gen Z who have spent their entire lives online. But it doesn’t need to be that deep.
Embarrassment is a social construct that urges people to fit a mold, rather than embrace their authenticity and the things they genuinely enjoy. While it's often easier said than done to overlook social constructs and challenge societal stereotypes and stigmas by living in the way you want, there are examples of things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now that spotlight the nonsensical nature of these standards.
Here are 11 things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now
1. Not following clothing trends
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Ironically enough, not following stereotypical clothing trends is actually one of the things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now. Wearing eccentric, non-traditional clothes, and embracing a radical kind of authentic self-expression, is even cool now.
On a larger scale, however, this kind of radical expression is truly only "socially acceptable" when it contributes to an ever-evolving consumerist culture.
People like pop culture and Gen Z reporter Callie Holtermann argue that while many are consciously aware of the toxicity of the trend cycle today, they're still unknowingly feeding into it, without directly wearing or adopting its suggestions.
"It's not that they don't get what's going on: Today's young adults can comfortably discuss the way that social media and fast fashion keep many members of their generation buying, sharing, and discarding items. They are aware, sometimes painfully, that their insecurities are being harnessed for someone else's bottom line," Holtermann said. "But awareness does not equal liberation."
2. Expressing and talking about emotions
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As younger generations challenge pre-existing stigmas around mental health — stigmas that encourage emotional suppression, isolating behaviors, and gendered double standards around vulnerability — they're also inadvertently encouraging everyone to be more emotionally available, intuitive, and self-aware.
Like experts from Headspace agree, stigmas around "being emotional" are essentially garbage — they're not only isolating people from cultivating better connections, they're sabotaging individual well-being and self-confidence.
That's exactly why, for young people like Gen Z, being emotional has become "cool." It's no longer embarrassing to express your needs, to set boundaries, or talk about your mental health struggles; in many cases, it can actually be empowering, liberating, and a signal of confidence and self-awareness.
Of course, many of these things that used to be embarrassing have their limits. For example, many young men today are still battling specific obstacles toward vulnerability, the same way certain low-income households don't have the financial freedom to genuinely embody their own self-expression.
These experiences, habits, and behaviors may not be embarrassing anymore, but they still have their shortcomings and exclusions, which are important to consider.
3. Not following traditional gender roles
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Gendered stereotypes and norms are inherently ingrained in every aspect of our culture. The patriarchy influences our relationships, crafts workplace power dynamics, and even dominates unsuspecting pieces of our culture like consumerist habits, beauty standards, career choices, and educational disparities.
Refusing to follow traditional gender roles in relationships or not adhering to gendered expression expectations may have been "embarrassing" or even anxiety-inducing for certain demographics a few decades ago, but younger generations like Gen Z are actively working to make it socially acceptable. In fact, some might argue that for the privileged, not adhering to these social norms is not just accepted now, but celebrated.
4. Reading
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If you've ever been called "a geek" or ridiculed for diving into a book at school, you know that reading hasn't always been the cool hobby that young people see it as today. Gen Z's values revolve around being "connected" — seeking information, new experiences, and wellness in their routines — so it's not entirely surprising that it's one of the things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now.
Many people even suggest young people on social platforms like TikTok are "making reading cool again" with social trends like "BookTok" even transforming the way the entire publishing industry operates with marketing efforts and spotlighting emerging authors.
Of course, just like embarrassment, societal definitions of what's "acceptable" or "cool" are subjective, influenced by constructs that shift as new generations enter the workforce and adulthood. So, if you've always been an avid reader, you've likely also always been cool.
RELATED: Introverted Woman Shares 6 'Cozy Hobbies' You Can Try While Alone
5. Eccentric self-expression
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Especially for younger generations, who have embraced authentic self-expression with accessibility to new opinions, styles, and trends online, the funkier and more unique, the better. While bold colors, maximalism, and other nontraditional personal appearance flairs have sometimes been ridiculed by a conformist culture, it's one of the things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now.
Research from OCAD University suggests that the majority — just over 70% — of Gen Zers believe they need more self-expression to live a happier, more fulfilling life. For some people, embracing that identity happens on social media, for others, it's in relationships, and even in their personal lives, hobbies, and rituals.
6. Niche hobbies
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According to a study from the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, it's not uncommon for our society's norms to uphold and celebrate toxic behaviors that directly combat positive (and sometimes, nontraditional) change. For example, eating meat, driving alone, and refusing to adopt renewable energy sources, like the study's authors suggest, are social norms, but they also directly feed into undesirable outcomes like climate change.
On a smaller, individual level, our social norms shift similarly — upholding certain outcomes for certain demographic groups in power. Before Gen Z built their influence in places like the workplace or in the social sphere, many older generations single-handedly crafted these norms — cultivating norms around things as subtle as a person's hobbies or the way a person dresses themselves and deeming them as "acceptable" or not.
Engaging in niche and obscure hobbies — outside the realm of "acceptable" social behaviors — is one of the things that used to be embarrassing, as a result of traditionalist social norms and practices, that is actually deemed socially acceptable now.
Think of the way you were treated as a kid for hobbies like reading, playing with Pokémon cards, or collecting random trinkets. If you weren't doing the things that were socially acceptable — playing sports, dating, making art, or traveling — you were urged to develop guilt or embarrassment.
7. Wearing oversized or baggy clothes
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Gen Z-focused trends around baggy and oversized clothing is a direct opposition to the gendered beauty standards they were forced to consume growing up.
They're crafting a space — in fashion, in their daily lives, and through self-expression — where people can feel empowered, whether they're wearing tight, form-fitting clothes or swimming in an oversized tee-shirt.
It's one of the things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now, for a number of equally concerning and unsettling reasons. From economic class — not being able to buy clothes fitted to you — to gendered norms like feeling pressured to wear tight clothing, especially for women, there are a number of reasons Gen Zers are reclaiming self-expression with new social norms and expectations.
8. Staying in
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With a renewed focus on wellness and emotional health and many young people's struggle with constant social interaction, it's not entirely surprising that "staying in" is the new "going out."
While it might have been deemed socially acceptable or even "cool" to spend your weekends at a club or going out on weekdays in your early 20s, staying in is one of the things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now.
No longer is staying in an isolating or embarrassing act — it's not a defining factor for a person's social life, a sign someone doesn't have many friends, or an act of desperation, but an empowering, self-care centered ritual that many young people are embracing with open arms.
9. Simply 'not caring'
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The new collective social acceptance of "not caring" isn't what you think. It's not about being "lazy" or refusing to craft aspirations, but rather "letting go" of attachments to external opinions, traditional expectations, or societal pressures.
While it might have been embarrassing to "not care," specifically for adults and young professionals navigating the workplace, higher education, or relationships for the first time, new perspectives — in people like Mel Robbins, author of "The Let Them Theory" — revolutionize the idea, making it cool to be self-assured and confident without sticking to traditional standards for success.
10. Hanging out with your parents
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Gen X teenagers and even rebellious boomer kids might have been urged to believe that spending a lot of time with your parents was not just embarrassing, but a sign of a person with a lacking social life. However, today, for many young people and Gen Zers entering adulthood, spending quality time with their parents is socially acceptable and even yearned for.
Alongside rising rates of "no-contact" relationships and tumultuous family dynamics, many young people are yearning for a sense of belonging and community within their families, even if it means going home for a Sunday dinner or having an impromptu coffee date with their mom.
11. Being a 'nerd'
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According to a Stanford report on Gen Z — the generation taking over crafting new social norms and challenging old ones in institutions like the workplace — young people's values revolve around diversity, learning and the accumulation of knowledge, self-expression, and purpose.
From adopting reading as a hobby again, to keeping up with worldly news online, and pursuing higher education pathways, many young people have transformed what it means to be a stereotypical "nerd" into something prideful and empowering.
While the social stigma around "nerdiness" from a traditional sense may still apply in certain situations and demographics — especially in those without the privilege of a comfortable "echo chamber" — it's largely become one of the things that used to be embarrassing but are actually socially acceptable now.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.