Got an ick you can’t scratch? Britain’s biggest tech cringes revealed
Over three-quarters of Brits (77%) have experienced the ick from someone’s tech habits
Once exclusively used to describe the cringe you feel from someone you’re dating, many of us now get the ick from friends, family and strangers too. Even the way people use technology can give us the ick!
We surveyed 2,000 UK adults aged 18-40 to reveal Britain’s biggest icks, including social media and dating app habits, to help you identify the tech mannerisms that might make people cringe.
If you can spot some of your ick-inducing habits above, all is not lost. Our survey revealed that it takes an average of five icks before we’re put off by someone romantically.
Brits share their biggest social media icks
Ever grabbed your phone to film yourself having all the feels? Well, posting videos of yourself crying was discovered as the biggest social media ick (25%).
Some other notable social media icks include too much PDA in posts (19%), posting like you’re an influencer (19%) and overly boasting on LinkedIn (16%), so maybe take a second thought before you hit publish on that ‘humble brag’…
The biggest tech habit turn offs are centred around phone use in public
You should avoid playing music out loud on your phone in a public place with over a third of Brits (31%) highlighting this as their top tech ick.
Don’t be disheartened by leaving voicemails, having stickers on your laptop or having a phone voice, as Brits were more indifferent about these potential icks.
Forget emojis, it's how you text that really matters
Poor grammar and punctuation came out on top as the biggest ick for nearly a quarter of the nation (24%). This is closely followed by using Snapchat as a primary form of communication (23%) and taking too long to message back (18%).
It seems that love is NOT in the air when it comes to emojis as heart-related icons took the top three spots for inducing the ick. The party popper🎉, flushed face😳 or partying face🥳 emojis scored the lowest when it came to the ick factor.
So when you next message someone keep your spelling in check, ditch sliding into DMs and be speedy to avoid being ghosted!
Five icks and you’re out - these are the top dating app icks
In a new relationship or dating? Well, Tinder (24%) is the dating app that gave us the biggest ick, followed by Plenty of Fish (22%) and Bumble (17%).
Match (15%) and Hinge (15%) are the dating apps that are the least icky, so look out for where a potential romantic partner is caught swiping!
If you want someone to swipe right then it’s all in your dating app profile. Having ‘not really active on here, add me on Instagram or Snapchat’ is a sure way to give fellow dating app users the ick (29%).
The three habits that cause the least amount of cringe are having a star sign in your profile (14%), using voice notes (13%) and only posting videos instead of photos (13%) - happy ick-free dating!
Despite women agreeing with the general population that it would take five icks to be put off someone romantically, men have less patience, choosing just four icks as their cut-off point (17%).
Women cringe at dating profiles that list ‘requirements’ of a potential partner (31%) and those who post gym selfies (31%) the most, whereas men’s top profile icks are having no information about the person (22%), being pointed to an Instagram or Snapchat profile (20%) and selfies with minimal clothing (19%).
The only tech habit that made more men feel the ick compared to women was when someone constantly checks their camera doorbell apps (14% vs 9%), so maybe check out your home security on the sly…
Men get the ick more than women when they spot personalised phone cases featuring your name (18% vs 14%), wired headphones (15% vs 9%) and in-ear earbuds (15% vs 7%). Who knew how we listen to music would cause such a cringe?
For non-binary respondents who answered our survey, their top dating profile icks are photos in luxury beach locations such as Dubai and Ibiza, which is matched by the use of the phrase ‘just ask’.
For social media habits, non-binary respondents have the biggest ick from videos of crying, from people who share unattainable productivity hacks on LinkedIn (i.e. getting up at 5am every day) and when people frequently make it known they’re not on social media.
Almost two in five (37%) Gen Z’s reported that they have experienced the ick from complete strangers - more than from their friends, family, romantic partners and colleagues.
Millennials experience the ick a little closer to home, with over a quarter (27%) noting that they have experienced the highest numbers of tech icks from both romantic partners and family members.
Grammar is back on the table for Gen Zs, with a third (30%) admitting that their cringe peaks when someone uses ellipses unnecessarily. This however is followed by using a formal tone and perfect grammar (27%)... should we bring txt talk back?
Both Gen Zs and Millennials agree that the selfie stick is the biggest tech ick accessory but in second place, Gen Zs want you to ditch personalised name phone cases (25%) whereas for Millennials it’s the ring light that needs to go (16%).
Gen Zs and Millennials agree that having ‘not really active on here, add me on Instagram or Snapchat’ is the biggest dating profile ick (34% & 11%).
Methodology
This research is based on an independent survey carried out on behalf of musicMagpie by OnePoll. Data collection took place between 11th-23rd January 2023. The total sample size was 2,000 adults (aged 18-40) living in the UK. Quotas were applied to nationally representative proportions for age, gender and region.