You're out with friends at an event you didn’t really want to attend. Somehow you have managed to lose all the people you came with, and now you’re in the middle of a group of people you don’t know, making small talk. That uneasy feeling is more common than you might realize though as 59% of Americans say they consider themselves to be socially awkward.

The stress of social situations is felt by all generations. But recent years have shown that younger generations experience it most, so much so that the blank look on Gen Zers faces during social interactions has even received its own name: the “Gen Z Stare.”

At Sudoku Bliss, we know that any social situation can be stressful and leave your social battery feeling drained. Many of you play a quick game of sudoku as a way to mentally reset in these situations. That’s why we set out to learn more about social awkwardness felt across the U.S. with a special focus on experiences among Gen Zers and millennials.

To do this, we surveyed more than 2,000 Americans across 40 of the largest U.S. cities to learn how they prepare for social interactions, which situations feel the most awkward, and more. Using these responses, we created a social awkwardness score on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most socially awkward. We then ranked each city using this score. Read on to learn which locations topped our list.

Key Takeaways

• Younger people in Phoenix, AZ, Cleveland, OH, and Pittsburgh, PA, are the most socially awkward.
• Gen Zers are the most likely to feel the pandemic increased their social awkwardness.
• 56% of Americans use “avoidance” tactics to skip human interactions at least once a week.
• 85% of Gen Zers think social awkwardness is a widespread problem for people their age.
• Public speaking and job interviews are the most common situations that make Americans feel socially awkward.

Cities Where Social Awkwardness Peaks for Gen Z and Millennials

Even the most outgoing of people can feel uncomfortable in certain social situations. Some people, however, find themselves feeling this way in most social encounters. When analyzing trends locally, it was young residents in Phoenix, AZ, that are most socially awkward with a score of 98.82 out of 100. Additionally, 1 in 2 Gen Z and millennials in Phoenix consider themselves very socially awkward, the most of any city.

Cleveland, OH, is next up on our ranking with a socially awkward score of 97.68 out of 100. When asked, 85% of young residents in the city said they feel like social awkwardness is a widespread problem for people their age. From a world that revolves around social media to a global pandemic that kept people isolated, it comes as no surprise that Gen Zers and millennials are concerned about the effects on their generations. In fact, 62% of young residents in Cleveland say the pandemic increased their social awkwardness.

Coming in third place for socially awkward cities is Pittsburgh, PA, where 70% of young people say they frequently avoid answering phone calls and prefer to text instead. Perhaps this is due in part to the 63% of residents who say smartphones increased their social awkwardness. On the other end of the spectrum, Houston, TX, ranks as the least socially awkward city. This is followed by Miami, FL, and Washington, D.C., in second and third place, respectively.

Situations That Make Younger Generations Most Socially Awkward

Some social gatherings are simply unavoidable, whether that be the result of mandatory attendance or your friends guilting you to be in attendance. Either way, we discovered many Gen Zers and millennials take extra steps to try and prepare ahead of some events.

Up first with 57% of young people noting it is spending time alone before to limit social battery drain. While we can’t physically see this social battery the way we can check our phone’s battery, many of us have felt that draining feeling internally. This falls right in line with the second most common preparation, avoiding plans after a gathering to limit social battery drain, which 53% of young people report.

For 1 in 2 Gen Zers and millennials, preparing “exit strategies” to disengage from a conversation is a popular task ahead of events. Whether you find yourself talking to a family member you’d rather stay distant from or a stranger that you simply don’t care to engage with, having an exit strategy for a conversation can ensure you move along politely to a new conversation you’d rather be involved in.

Coming in fourth place for preparations are deep breathing exercises or meditation, which more than two fifths of young adults partake in ahead of a social gathering. Preparing a few conversation starters (42%) and observing others in public for social cues (41%) follow closely behind as the fifth and sixth most popular preparations.

After understanding where young Americans feel the most socially awkward and what steps they take to limit these uneasy feelings, we wanted to turn our attention to the specific social situations that cause Gen Zers and millennials the most stress.

Up first with 64% of people reporting it is public speaking. From leading a presentation at work to giving a speech at your best friend’s wedding, public speaking has long been a social situation that makes many people nervous.

Meeting new people is up next, with nearly two thirds of Gen Zers and millennials reporting it. While this new person may eventually become someone you are close to, the first meeting can be awkward, and in some cases it can even be difficult to know what to talk about. Sure some meetings are easier than others, but some just leave us feeling uncomfortable.

Coming in third place are job interviews, which 62% of young adults share make them feel socially awkward. Whether you are walking into a manager’s office or meeting through a virtual meeting, job interviews can be stressful, and the social expectations of such a meeting can add even more pressure to the situation.

Sudoku: A Calm Break from Awkward Moments

Social awkwardness happens to all of us, but when you feel out of sync, it doesn’t mean you are antisocial. It simply means your brain needs a quick win that can keep you from overthinking another situation.

At Sudoku Bliss, we know that while the company of others can be nice at times, we can also seek time to ourselves. When your social battery is feeling drained, take a step back and indulge in a game of Sudoku to calm your mind. Whether you want to keep things simple with an easy or medium Sudoku puzzle, or you are looking to push yourself with a hard, expert, or even an evil-level puzzle, we have the right game for you. Get started today and give yourself a break from the stress of any social situation you might face.

Methodology

In this study, we set out to learn where Americans struggle most with social awkwardness. To do this, we surveyed residents in 40 of the largest U.S. cities and asked about their experiences and habits. We asked about a variety of situations and asked how often they leave respondents feeling socially awkward. We then awarded points for responses that represented social awkwardness and calculated the average score by city and adjusted those scores on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the most socially awkward.

In addition to our overall ranking, we also analyzed responses from just Gen Zers and millennials to create a social awkwardness scoring among younger generations. Finally, we asked about preparations Americans have done ahead of social gatherings and which situations impact them the most.