As millennials creep into their 40s, they’re hitting that stage where they start to defend their generation’s customs with fierce loyalty. They’re choosing their hills to die on, and you can pry those hills from their cold, dead hands. 😂
Recently, this phenomenon became the subject of a popular thread on the r/Millennials subreddit on Reddit. The post, started by u/dasisglucklich, asked:
**“What’s the SILLIEST ‘Cringe but Correct’ Millennial Hill You’re Still Ready to Die On?”**
They explained, “What’s the ridiculous, often-mocked belief or practice from our generation that you know is objectively correct and highly valuable? The one thing you’ll absolutely defend to the grave? Let’s unite globally on these petty issues!”
One example given was the use of “lol” as a form of sarcastic punctuation—often used to express disdain or annoyance, or to lighten the mood after saying something negative. This practice fell out of favor after Generation Z labeled it “cringe,” making it a clear giveaway that the user is a millennial.
Other silly opinions that millennials hold very seriously include perspectives on fashion trends, new technology, and a refusal to be embarrassed by what younger people might consider outdated or awkward. Some of these comments sounded almost indistinguishable from Boomers! At least they’re not acting like those dorky losers in Generation X, right?
If you’re a millennial feeling down because the 20-somethings say you have no “rizz” or whatever, these might just make you feel a little better.
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### 1. Not fearing the cringe
“My Gen Z nieces try to bully me for enjoying things and being earnest, and it doesn’t work. I enjoy doing things I enjoy, and also say/emote what I am thinking/feeling without worrying about if I’m being cool or detached or ironic enough.”
“I survived millennial middle school. You can pry my hard-won, unabashed sense of self from my cold, dead hands.”
— u/Adventurous-Mall7677
### 2. Ankle socks
“You can pry my ankle and no-show socks off my cold, dead feet; there’s no way in hell I’m going to go rocking a crew-sock farmer’s tan just because you dumba** kids insist on dressing like my grandpa going golfing.”
— u/yourfreudianslip
### 3. Voicemail etiquette
“Stating your number when leaving a voicemail. Double points if you do it at the beginning and again at the end.”
— u/thesy5temfire
### 4. DVDs over streaming
“Until one streaming service has every movie or show made and is readily available at all times, I will continue to collect and keep DVDs/Blu-rays of movies and shows I want to watch.”
— u/Cal_858
### 5. Your flared pants are too short
“They aren’t flared leggings, they are yoga pants and they have to touch the ground.”
“I work in a high school and I’m so sick of seeing kids with flood pants — we would have been roasted so hard for that.”
— u/caseyallarie
### 6. Layer me up
“I will never give up comfort camisoles. If I ever have only one layer on, I have been replaced by a pod person.”
— u/BlackQuartzSphinx
### 7. Emojis always, even at work
“I use emojis professionally. I believe it makes me come off as friendly and approachable when I tell customers I will definitely look into that escalation 😇😉🫠.”
— u/Sir_Poofs_Alot
### 8. Some caps
“Idc what the cool kids are doing these days, I am using capital letters.”
— u/Pudgy_Pigeon5
### 9. Buying offline
“I refuse to buy everything online. Sometimes, you need the in-person store experience, so you can see how stuff actually looks and feels. I don’t want a nice-looking but scratchy af blanket or a painting that looked a different color online.”
“I definitely don’t want to wait weeks while I return it and get a refund to order another elsewhere and potentially have the same thing happen again. I just want to go to the store, buy it, and be done with it already.”
— u/InjurySensitive
### 10. Dumb appliances, please
“Not everything needs to be ‘smart.’ I don’t need a smart windshield, smart glasses, a smart watch. Like, f*ck. I have a phone and a TV. That covers my needs.”
— u/mrsspooky84
### 11. Dance like no one is filming
“I’m not doing that corny, lackadaisical, give-them-nothing dance that Gen Z does on TikTok to make themselves look like they are cool because they don’t care enough. I’m shaking my a** despite never really learning how to.”
“I don’t know why Gen Z is so scared of humiliation, but I’m glad that was never us.”
— u/TopHeavyPigeon
### 12. Waiting for new episodes
“‘Appointment’ television was more fun. Getting a good cliffhanger and having a week to talk about it with your friends before the next episode — and you didn’t have to deal with some jacka** who has no life and binged the whole thing on 2x speed the second it was released.”
“Waiting until September when all the new shows and seasons would premiere. Fewer weird multi-year delays between seasons.”
— u/MissMaster
### 13. Sweats are not for all situations
“It’s not just millennial, but dressing up or dressing appropriately is a hill I’d die on. I see young adults and kids wearing pajamas and sweats everywhere. You should not wear leggings and sweats to most jobs (obviously with exceptions like working from home, being a gym trainer, etc).”
— u/itsbeenanhour
### 14. Shirts that cover the stomach
“Not everything has to be a f*cking crop top! I’m too small for most ‘women’ sizes clothes so I have to gravitate towards the young adult/junior stuff. EVERYTHING IS A CROP!! T-shirt? Crop. Tank? Crop. Hoodie? CROP TOP WHY?!? I’m buying a sweatshirt to stay warm, not look like Winnie the Pooh! It’s taking over women’s workout clothes too.”
— u/Affectionate-Spray78
### 15. The Millennial Pause
“The Millennial Pause is functionally useful since it allows the viewer to orient to the video before you start talking.”
“Seriously, how many videos have you had pop up that start talking before your brain says ‘oh, this guy is saying something,’ and you miss the first sentence?”
— u/Professor_Hala
### 16. Anti-baggy
“Skinny jeans look great on everyone. Throw on a pair of boots with them and you instantly look chic and put-together no matter what your body type is.”
— u/lilythefrogphd
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Millennials may get teased for their habits and preferences, but as this lively thread shows, many hold onto their “cringe but correct” hills with pride—and for good reason. So if you see a millennial rocking ankle socks, defending their DVDs, or using emojis at work, just know they have a hill they’re not ready to surrender. And honestly? We kind of admire that.
https://www.dailydot.com/culture/cringe-millennial-hills/
