Many things that were acceptable in previous generations are no longer so. Over time, people’s values change, and so do their perspectives on societal norms. Where once neighbors were okay stopping by unannounced, people have become less social. They have also given up on many of the common niceties from day to day. A lot of the things that previous generations considered okay are no longer the norm or accepted.
Patting a Child
There was a time when no one really thought much about an adult touching a child. It was considered okay for a stranger to show signs of affection for children when out at the grocery store, when passing by on the street, and in social situations. It is no longer acceptable for an adult to touch a child in any way, regardless if they know them or not.
Stopping by Unannounced
In previous generations, it was okay to stop by someone’s house if you were in the neighborhood. People are more secretive and less open to accepting guests without a prior invite. The phrase “I just stopped by because I was in the neighborhood” is no longer an acceptable reason to pop in.
Expecting a Thank You Card
Our grandparent’s generation believed in gratitude and saying thank you. If someone gave you a gift, they could expect that a thank you card would arrive in the mail. People are very reticent to say thank you at all, little less stick a handwritten letter in the mail.
Smoking Wherever You Wanted
People used to smoke whenever and wherever they wanted. It was allowed on airplanes, in restaurants, and in cars when children were in the backseat with the windows rolled up. It is no longer okay to pull out a cigarette when others are present. People now understand the harms of secondhand smoke and avoid subjecting anyone to it.
Being on Their Own
Can you imagine a day when a parent would drop their children off at the mall without a way to contact them? It is no longer acceptable to be off the grid and not able to be reached. The average person would have an emergency bulletin out if they put their phone away for an afternoon. It is no longer acceptable not to be available 24/7.
Ellipses
An ellipse used to be used in the English language in various ways. If you used it in the middle of a sentence, it was meant to signal a pause in thought. If a person used it at the end of a sentence, it was considered a suggestion. People don’t really use them anymore. If they do, they can be misunderstood as being passive-aggressive, especially when used in text messaging.
Answering Your Phone
It used to be rude to interrupt people when they were talking, period. The thought of doing so to answer a phone was unheard of. Now, people don’t give much thought about putting others on hold when their phones ring. It isn’t impolite anymore when it really should be.
Petting Dogs Without Permission
In previous generations, when people were out with their dogs, no one really thought twice about approaching and giving the pet a pat on the head. It is unacceptable now to approach anyone’s fury best friend without first asking the owner for permission. Due to litigation of being bitten, it isn’t a bad thing.
Giving Kids Food Without Asking
Allergies are a real fear, especially when it comes to kids. Where once it was no big deal to hand out food to kids across the board, nowadays, you have to ask either the child or the parent of the child if it is okay if you give them something. According to statistics from the CDC, more than a quarter of children and adults have food allergies in the United States.
Reading a Newspaper
Previous generations would not even start their day without first delving into the newspaper, and their Sundays revolved around reading it from cover to cover. Most people now get their news on the internet from a variety of sources, and newspapers are a thing of the past. You can read whatever you want whenever you want on a mobile device, and it doesn’t require that you chop down a tree.
Phone Manners
Most kids who grew up in the '80s can remember the script that they had to follow when calling a friend, “Hello, this is Johnny. May I please speak to Jennifer?” There was a time when you had to announce who you were and who you wanted to speak to. Nowadays, most Gen Zs pick up a phone and don’t even say “Hello,” you just have to guess they are on the line.
Ashtrays All-Around
In the '80s, when you sat down at a restaurant table, the first thing you would see was an ashtray. Since smoking was allowed pretty much everywhere, ashtrays followed. Although it is still okay in some other countries to smoke in public, nowadays, you can’t just light up whenever and wherever you want.
Calling
If you call most people, they will pick up because they probably assume it is an emergency. Not many people will pick up a phone anymore to call anyone. Texting is the easier way to get business done. It is also a way to make plans without having to hop on a call. There are even some people who have social anxiety about phone calls due to the rare nature of them.
Kissing Babies
Government candidates used to do a lot of kissing babies back in the day. Now, if a governmental candidate kissed anyone who was not related to them, and in public, it would be a press nightmare for them. Also not okay is kissing people on game shows; people are more reserved with their puckers.
Showing Respect With Addressing Properly
Although it is still proper in some Southern states to address men and women with “sir” and “ma’am,” for the most part, respectful titles have fallen by the wayside. In previous generations, a child talking to an adult would never use their first name. Now, it is commonplace to do so.
Referring to Someone As “My Wife”
Women traditionally have been seen in life according to how they are related to a man. At first, they were someone’s daughter, and then they became someone’s wife. In previous generations, it was not uncommon for a man to introduce his “wife” to someone using just the “wife” title. That wouldn’t fly in today’s age. Women have earned the right to be respectfully called by their name.
Village Raising
It used to take a village to raise a child and everyone in a community felt personally responsible for parenting all of the children they were attached to. Now, it isn’t acceptable to yell or reprimand someone else’s child. It is considered in poor taste to try to discipline any child that is not yours.
Commenting on Someone’s Size
It used to be okay to say to someone, “Have you lost weight?” Now, it can come across as a cutdown, as if they are saying that you need to lose weight. Although skinny shaming still seems to be acceptable, pointing out that someone looks good and lost weight is not.
Tipping
Tipping was a way to tell someone who provided a service how they did. It used to be that you could tip someone as much as 10-15% according to how well the service was. Now, tipping is a must, and if you don’t, then you are considered cheap.
Saying Hello to Strangers
There was a time when people in a community would not think twice about saying “Hello” and having a friendly conversation with strangers. Nowadays, if you start talking to someone that you don’t know, everyone looks at you funny. You can make all sorts of social media friends, but don’t just go up and strike up a conversation; that is a no-no.
Offering Aid When Someone Needs It
In previous generations, when you saw someone struggling, you stopped what you were doing and offered to pitch in. Those kinds of courtesies are no longer the norm. If you stop to ask someone if they need help loading their car, they will probably be fearful that you are going to take off with their groceries.
Using Words Like “Honey” and “Sweetie”
It was an acceptable practice in previous generations to refer to women as “sweetie” and “honey” even if you didn’t know them. Whether it was a waitress or in a workplace environment, it was almost a term of endearment. If you call someone that now, you can be subject to a sexual harassment suit.
Making Kids Give Adults a Kiss
As kids, most people can remember their parents saying things like, “Give Uncle Jimmy a kiss goodbye.” That is no longer acceptable. Thanks to a shift in the way we see children being sexualized, many adults no longer teach children that providing shows of affection is not only okay, but they are also no longer required.
Things Change Due to Perspectives
Things change over time, and some behaviors that were totally acceptable just a short decade ago are no longer so. As societal norms change, so too do the opinions about what is right and wrong and the notions about how we treat one another.
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