This article draws from a recent New York Post report titled “Gen Z deems cash as ‘cringe’ in new study — saying people who still use it are ‘out of touch’” (Nov. 3, 2025). But this take? It’s a warning flare fired into the fog of digital delusion.
Cash is “cringe,” says Gen Z. At least that’s what the headlines scream after a new Harris Poll—conveniently commissioned by Cash App—reveals that 53% of young adults use physical money only as a last resort. Nearly 30% go further, mocking cash users as “out of touch.”
Cute. If only this were just a generational taste. But it’s not. It’s an engineered belief, hardwired into the digital-native psyche by slick interfaces, push-notifications, and a 3.5% APY carrot dangling from a corporate hook.
