Gen Z Recasts 'Larping' as Authenticity Slur, With 50% Avoiding 'Cringe' Online

2 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 10

Across TikTok and campuses, Gen Z is using “larping” to mock people seen as performative rather than genuine — from “pilates girls” posing for photos to interns “larping” a 9-to-5.
Experts say the term largely replaces older labels like “performative,” “NPC” and “industry plant,” reflecting a sharper online instinct to spot and call out curated identities.
More than half of adult Gen Zers have avoided expressing themselves online for fear of seeming “cringe,” according to an April Yahoo/YouGov poll cited in the report.
Psychologists say that pressure is tied to a generation raised fully online, where social approval became currency and exaggerated wealth, friendships or lifestyles can fuel unhealthy comparison.
The spread of “larping” also shows Gen Z’s broader distrust of influencer culture, AI and ad-driven content, even as some young users worry the label punishes beginners for trying new things.