A TEEN’S PERSPECTIVE: What happened to good manners and kindness?

In today’s society, it appears as though the majority of young adults and teenagers lack overall good manners and kindness. It is obvious that older generations hold manners in high regard; however, as the generations get younger, the sense of the importance of manners decreases.

I am around my peers almost every day, whether that is at church, school or any other public place, and I have observed that manners seem to have become unfamiliar. “Thank you,” “excuse me,” and “please” have been replaced with ungrateful, dissatisfied faces, barks to “move,” and patronizing demands. Unnecessary, derogatory words are thrown around without thought. Gentleman-like acts, such as holding the door for a lady, are seen more in movies than they are in reality. Young men would rather wear their pants too low, exposing the world to their multicolored underwear, than to wear a belt. Instead of “Hello. How are you?” people are greeted with judgmental looks, and conversation is filled with petty, insipid gossip. Why is that? Young people, what happened to good manners and kindness?