Thanks for reading, I’ve seen this happen in different places now. Some communities use it like you intended, others use it as derogatory. Language be gettin harder by the day

Maybe I’m wrong but I think the idea of “friend zone” implies romantic rejection, whereas being actual friends is just a platonic relationship with no romantic aspects. Friend zone is like emotional attachment that is getting in the way of a genuine friendship because of that disparity. It sounds immature to say it if you think of it that way. It’s reminiscent of the incels on 4chan for a lot of people too, so that doesn’t help. Maybe that will clarify why some people think it’s cringey to say ‘friend zoned’?

That’s a lotta pokémon