30+ Things That Have Become So Normalized, We Didn’t Realize How Creepy They Actually Were

Parents are really obsessed with their children. We can’t really blame them, since they did spend months nurturing them in the womb and will spend 18+ years raising them. That doesn’t mean we want to see photos of every single thing the kid ever does.

What we especially don’t want to see is an Instagram account where said parents pretend to be the child, posting captions as if the kid is writing them. That’s super weird and cringy.

We spend a lot of time on our couches. They’re in the part of the house we literally call the living room, after all, since it’s where we do most of our living when we’re at home. So, how clean are they, really?

Most people have probably never thought about this, but they’ve got a point. It’s weird that we don’t do more to protect our couches from stains or grime. We doubt many people clean the cushions as often as they should.

We give away tons of information about ourselves every day on the internet without even thinking about it. We notice how we talk about something and ads for that thing quickly pop up, but what about everything else they know about us?

This person is right that we have to give very personal information for any basic internet service we use nowadays. While it’s creepy, it’s not some big conspiracy — we do it willingly without even realizing it.

If you don’t know what a school dress code is, you’re lucky. A lot of schools have strict rules about what their students, primarily female students, can and can’t wear. And it’s not just in high school where students are developing adult bodies.

There are creepy rules in place in elementary schools, too, and it’s a bit excessive. It’s not necessarily that anyone is thinking disturbing thoughts. It seems to have more to do with control. It’s still weird, though.

Most pet owners have been in this situation — you’re sitting on the couch, minding your own business as you binge-watch whatever your TV show of the moment is, when suddenly your pet sits up, looking concerned and disturbed.

It’s easy to forget that most animals have super sensitive hearing, so all that’s happening here is that they’re hearing something outside. If you’ve been watching a creepy movie, it’s easy to feel like they’re detecting a ghost or intruder.

Have you ever been waiting to exit an airplane, standing in the aisle to stretch your legs as they prepare the plane for everyone to disembark, only to have some super impatient person standing really close behind you when the doors haven’t even opened yet?

We agree that it’s weird and rude for people to do things like this. They do it everywhere, too — in the supermarket, in car lines, or even in line for a bathroom. Everyone’s always in such a hurry.

While working a job that you love is nice, most of us work for one main reason — we need money to live. So, when it comes to work rewards, people want a reward in the form of more money.

What they don’t want is weird forced bonding with their coworkers in their free time. Companies just do stuff like this because it’s cheaper than paying everyone bonuses. Employees should be allowed to keep their personal lives private.

You know that old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” While most of us do judge books by their covers, the point of the saying is that we shouldn’t focus on what something looks like — but rather, what’s on the inside.

So with that in mind, who on earth would create a pageant where the whole point is judging young children based on how they look, walk, and pose? It’s pretty creepy, and kids shouldn’t be exposed to such superficial pressure that young.

If you’re feeling a bit cynical, marketing as a field is basically all about manipulating customers into doing what you want them to do. It finds different ways to appeal to us psychologically or emotionally.

It’s actually pretty normal to mirror the body language of someone who you like or are enjoying talking with. What’s creepy is companies using this in order to manipulate customers into trusting them more. That’s definitely not normal.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, more commonly referred to as ASMR, is a huge craze on the internet at the moment. It’s where people make videos of “calming” sounds — like whispering, tapping, or other audible sounds — that are supposed to help people calm down and relax.

Sure, they may work for some people. But, it’s pretty creepy to watch someone tapping their nails together for 10 minutes straight, and the sounds can actually be triggering to some… like this person.

It can be a lot of fun to have distant family members visit. You don’t see them very often, and visits usually mean that you get to do fun activities that your family wouldn’t otherwise do.

The last thing you expect is to get criticized for your outfit around a male family member. It’s creepy and weird to think that it would be necessary to hide yourself around family. If they can’t control themselves, they shouldn’t be let anywhere near your home.

Surely you’ve heard of toxic relationships, but did you know that there’s such a thing as toxic positivity? It’s basically this idea that you must be happy and positive no matter what you’re going through.

The problem with it is that while it’s good to be optimistic, it’s healthy and natural to experience negative emotions. Suppressing them isn’t going to be good for anyone. A lot of Instagram accounts promote this mindset and shame those who don’t comply.

In the past, it was common for extended families to live near each other, sharing responsibilities when it came to raising the children. Things have changed since then, though, and people expect to have a bit more privacy.

Expecting privacy is perfectly reasonable, so it’s a bit creepy to think you can walk into someone else’s home whenever you want to, without even letting them know you’re coming. It boils down to a lack of respect.

Children are innocent. There’s so much they don’t know about the world, and they aren’t tainted by adult negativity or cynicism. They’re also too young to be thinking about romantic relationships, but some adults don’t seem to get that.

Babies don’t flirt, they just play together. They’re just friends, just like two adults can be just friends. It’s weird to pretend that they’re into each other when the poor things can barely walk or talk.

It’s really awkward to make eye contact with someone for too long, even if it’s someone we know well. Some say it’s because we’re more self-aware in these moments, which makes us uncomfortable.

Someone tell this person that eye contact for more than 10 seconds is called staring. There’s a name for it, and yeah, it’s definitely creepy and weird — especially when a stranger is doing it. It can even be downright unnerving.

Adults spend the majority of their time at their jobs, even though a lot of them would much prefer to be spending some time alone or at home with their loved ones. So, most put on a happy face that isn’t quite genuine while in the office.

It’s weird to pretend to be interested in other people’s lives or day-to-day shenanigans — that is, if you’re pretending, which many do. Everyone can see through it, yet they do it anyway.

The heart is an incredible organ. It works nonstop — all day, every day. We don’t usually think about all the work it’s doing, but sometimes we take notice.

Obviously, you want to feel your heartbeat, as if you can’t, there’s going to be something seriously wrong with your body. But, it’s being consciously aware of our heartbeat that can be a really odd sensation. It makes us feel like we have to think about it beating or about breathing.

Hugs are a great way to bond with people, but they make some people uncomfortable. Not everyone enjoys being touched, especially by someone they don’t know very well. So, it’s pretty weird when someone tries to pressure you into a hug.

We’d be curious to know what goes through people’s heads to prompt them to ask this question. Perhaps they’re just really craving human contact. Whatever their reasoning, it’s weird and needs to stop.

Thanks to our phones, we have taken more photographs and videos in recent years than in the entire history of photography. That seems cool and all, but some parents feel the need to post every single thing their kid ever does on social media.

If it’s not something you would have taken a picture of and shown people before smartphones and Instagram existed, why would you do it now? Kids deserve privacy, especially in vulnerable moments like having a bath or crying.

Nowadays, it’s very rare to get phone calls from phone numbers we don’t recognize. We save all of our contacts in our phones, including businesses we frequent — like the doctor’s office or our dentist. We always know who’s contacting us.

That means that when we get a phone call from a random number, it freaks us out a bit. It’s weird to have no idea who’s contacting us or how they got our phone number in the first place.

Like knowing who’s calling us, we also always know who’s going to stop by and when. We even have live tracking for delivery drivers, so we have no surprise visitors — at least, not usually.

So, like phone calls from random phone numbers, it’s weird to have random people show up at our door. In a world in which we’re constantly bombarded with stories of home invasions or robberies, one can never be too careful.

It’s pretty safe to say that humans now are busier than they’ve ever been. Between things like work, taking care of kids, hobbies, and “self-care” activities, we’re constantly on the go — often to our own detriment.

Sometimes, it’s so bad that it seems like people are competing over who’s busiest, and that’s definitely weird and an unhealthy thing to do. It’s okay to not be busy all the time and take time for yourself.

A lot of places have a significant number of people living on the streets, and any number of individuals without a home is too many. What’s worse is others exploiting those people’s situations to get a few followers or likes.

People do it anyway, though, and it’s super weird and creepy. You have to hope that they’re at least getting their permission to photograph or film them, but even if they are, it’s still wrong.

Just like saying that children are flirting is weird, calling a friend of theirs their boyfriend or girlfriend is also weird. It’s imposing adult relationship ideals on children instead of just letting kids be kids.

The other thing that’s weird about it is that they probably only ask them things like this when they’re playing with a friend of the opposite gender. It makes a lot of assumptions about who they’re going to be.

With the rise of Instagram came the rise of Instagram models and influencers. They’re the “Insta-famous” people you see taking photos against any minorly pretty or interesting backdrop when you’re out and about.

We have to admit that the faces they make and the poses they do are pretty unusual. The duck face of the past got replaced with the squinty open mouth face, and we’re not sure which one is worse. Maybe they’re both just horrible.

As a child in America, something that you grow up doing without thinking twice about it is saying the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at school. It’s just a daily routine, like brushing your teeth or eating.

You don’t think about how strange it is until someone from another country points it out, and how in their country they do nothing of the sort. Then, you realize swearing your allegiance to an inanimate object every day is a bit weird indeed.

When we’re in public, we sacrifice a certain amount of privacy. We can’t do the same things or act the way we would if we were in the privacy of our own homes. Celebrities know all too well just how little privacy they have in public.

Paparazzi stalking celebs to take photos of them is really creepy, and it’s also creepy for “normal” people to take photos of other strangers in public, especially if the purpose is to mock them.

If there’s anything that we can all thank Snapchat for, it’s for making face filters popular. If you haven’t seen at least 29 photos of someone with a dog filter or a freakishly large mouth, you must not go on social media very often.

Face filters that make photos funny aren’t creepy, necessarily, but the face filters that smooth out blemishes, add makeup where there isn’t any, or alter people’s appearance are definitely disturbing. It makes it hard to trust photos that we see online.

It’s super cute to come home to your cat or dog watching for you through the window. It makes us feel loved and appreciated and like someone looks forward to seeing us. But in the reverse, and with humans, it’s pretty creepy.

If you’re knocking on the door, it means you don’t know the people well enough to barge in, which also means you don’t have the right to peek in the window and see if they’re home.

Since we spend so much of our time at work, it’s only natural that we want to get along with our coworkers. But, there’s a difference between getting along and letting them know every detail of our lives.

Some people want close relationships with their workmates, and that’s fine, but it shouldn’t be an expectation. An office environment is not the same as being a family. It’s a bit weird to act like employees should treat their coworkers and bosses as such.

Part of being a human being is a desire for physical contact. That’s why we show affection through hugs and kisses and cuddling. As children grow up, most of this affection comes from their parents.

This is only weird if people make it weird. Children see their parents kiss on the lips, so it’s natural that they will try to do the same thing to show affection to their parents. It’s not inappropriate in any way.

There are a lot of people in the world who are either naturally soft-spoken or were taught to be that way. Some people speak so quietly that it’s nearly impossible to hear anything they say, and it can become frustrating.

It’s unclear how people who are naturally quiet are creepy, though, unless they’re doing other creepy things at the same time — like following someone around or staring for lengthy periods of time. Being that quiet isn’t really normal, anyway.

Cracking open a bag of fresh popcorn or potato chips can really hit the spot when you’re in a snacking mood. At least, that is until you reach into the bag and pull out a grease-covered hand.

There’s just something about that sensation that’s pretty weird. That’s why any clever person immediately dumps their popcorn into a bowl. It’s best to just avoid the whole situation altogether and focus on enjoying the snack.

Have you ever watched a scary movie where someone is being creeped on through their open blinds or curtains at night? It really makes you think about how you should never leave your own blinds or curtains open at night… when people can see in, but you can’t see out.

It’s weird to think that people do it anyway. Maybe they just haven’t realized they are open, or maybe they just don’t care what may be lurking out in the dark.

It’s only natural to admire and respect the actors, singers, and sports stars who work so hard to get to where they are and spend their lives entertaining us. But, some fans get to the point of obsessing over celebrities’ lives.

We had never thought of it this way before, but this person has got a point. Why give someone who already has money even more money to pretend like they care about you? What’s the point?

There are a few different theories about why we are ticklish. Some people think it was to defend vulnerable parts of our body — like our organs, neck, and feet. Others think maybe it was a way for humans to bond socially.

Whatever it is, it should only be done with consent, like anything that has to do with interacting with other people physically. If someone asks you to stop and you keep going, it’s a serious invasion of privacy and personal space.

You’ve been out and about for a while, when you suddenly realize that you desperately need to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, you’re still in public, so you have to deal with the dreaded public bathroom.

If you’re in the United States, that means stalls with massive cracks between the door and the wall, and a foot-wide gap at the bottom as well. There’s nothing like sitting in a stall praying the people walking by don’t try to peek.

Now that Instagram has been around for a while, creators have to get creative in order to stand out from the crowd. This leads most of them to choose a niche, and one very unusual niche is selfies.

These people do exactly what it sounds like — they post nothing but selfies. It’s just square after square of their face. It seems like you’d have to be a pretty narcissistic person to think people want to see that many photos of nothing but your face!

Something that everyone has become more aware of in recent years, especially parents with children, is bodily autonomy. It’s the idea that our bodies are our own, and we have a right to control what happens to them.

That means we have a right to choose when we give affection and to whom. Some people just aren’t huggers, and there’s nothing wrong with that. They shouldn’t ever be forced to touch someone else.

The majority of the Earth’s creatures live in the ocean, yet we haven’t even explored the majority of it. There’s only so deep we can go before the pressure is too great and the light too little to do much exploring.

Perhaps that’s why the idea of murky water is so weird — we have no idea what could be lurking beneath the surface. There’s probably not much down there that could hurt us, but the lack of knowledge is too freaky to chance it.

Reality TV can be fun to watch because it offers us a chance to escape the real world for a few hours. That’s a bit ironic since it’s called reality TV, but we all know that there’s very little reality in any of those shows.

That’s what also makes it a bit creepy. We’re presented with people’s lives and relationships as if we’re watching them unfold in real-time, but we aren’t. We’re watching highly edited and remixed footage.

Women are getting tired of a lot of little things people say and do to them in their day-to-day lives that are unnecessary and uncomfortable. One of those things is male teachers saying strange things.

It would be just as weird if they told their male students “Good boy” after doing them favors, but they probably don’t. “Good girl” should be reserved for praising a dog, not praising a female student or colleague.

When you’re in a relationship, people are always asking questions that are a little too personal about what’s next. When will you get married? When will you have babies? When will you do the next big thing?

The reality is that it’s no one’s business what you plan to do in your relationship. Unless you choose to bring it up yourself, asking questions like that can make people really uncomfortable, especially if they’ve already been trying and having difficulties.

Door-to-door sales made sense before technology was big. It was the best way to get information out there about your product, and people were more accustomed to having others show up at their door.

Nowadays, it feels very invasive. We already deal with people trying to sell us products via the phone, via advertisements on TV, and via bus benches, billboards, and so much more. Why should we have to deal with it at our own front door, too?

Eating an ice cream or popsicle on a hot day is one of the most satisfying things ever, whether you’re a kid or an adult. It’s always disappointing to get down to the stick, since it means the ice cream is gone.

The texture of popsicle sticks is very weird and unpleasant. Why would you use a wooden stick for something people are going to lick? We wonder how many people have gotten splinters on their tongues.