人们观看他人尴尬时刻的视频具有高度成瘾性，其心理作用机制与食用垃圾食品相似。[1] 临床心理学家Stefan Hofmann指出："尴尬视频和垃圾食品一样容易上瘾。"[1] 这一现象涉及同情、信任、移情和幸灾乐祸等多种心理因素，反映了人类对社交规范的深层理解以及对社群排斥的潜在恐惧。[1]
心理学家Frieder Paulus解释了尴尬感的情境差异，指出："你看到陌生人在公共场合行为不当，你可能会生气。但如果你的孩子做同样的事情，你可能会感到尴尬，不仅为孩子，也为自己。"[1] 社会心理学家Matthew Feinberg的研究表明，人们将尴尬表现理解为亲社会行为的信号。[1] 研究还发现，尴尬是一种非自愿的情感，从幼年早期就已开始发展。[1]
Watching videos of others in awkward situations can be as habit-forming as consuming junk food, according to research into the psychology of cringe content. Clinical psychologist Stefan Hofmann has drawn this direct comparison, noting that "embarrassment videos and junk food are equally addictive" [1]. The phenomenon reflects a complex interplay of psychological mechanisms that tap into fundamental aspects of human social understanding.
Several psychological factors drive the appeal of cringe content. Psychologist Frieder Paulus explains that while people may feel anger when witnessing a stranger behaving inappropriately in public, the emotional response intensifies when the person is close to them—such as a child—transforming the reaction into embarrassment both for the individual and oneself [1]. Social psychologist Matthew Feinberg has found that people interpret displays of embarrassment as signals of prosocial behavior [1]. Research indicates that embarrassment itself is an involuntary emotion that begins developing in early childhood [1]. Together, these factors—encompassing sympathy, trust, empathy, and schadenfreude—reveal how deeply people understand social norms and their underlying anxiety about social exclusion.