35 Modern Norms That Older Internet Users Find Hard To Accept

It is a fact of life that times change, and we can either adapt or be left behind. However, when we consider that something we consider totally outrageous today might be completely normal in the near future, it’s hard to imagine how accepting we will be. Yet that is the expectation of an evolving species. Despite our misgivings, change is inevitable. 

#1

Image source: khyman5, Wavebreak Media / freepik

Kids not being expected to pay attention.

#2

Image source: Emptyplates, freepik

Adults, men and women, being perfectly hairless. No thank you.

#3

Image source: Quietdogg77, The Yuri Arcurs Collection / freepik

A President who cruelly insults others as easily and frequently as drinking a soda.

A President who twitters his followers the craziest things so regularly that it’s become accepted as normal for his followers. One example of numerous tweets: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT.”

The more ridiculous and crazy things he says and does, the more his supporters cheer him on.

Referring to immigrants he warns Americans during a televised debate:“They’re eating the pets.” His weird statements and unstable behavior is regularly “sane-washed” by supporters.

Never in my lifetime could I have imagined a convicted felon would be elected as the president of our country.

A President who pardons the criminals who injured our Capitol police officers after they protected the members of Congress.

Never in my lifetime could I have dreamed of a President who would threaten and attack our European allies while cozying up to Russia.

#4

Image source: GadreelsSword, freepik

Open government corruption. Politicians publicly calling one another names on a whim.

Openly eliminating much needed social programs without fearing the consequences.

Overfeeding billionaires while starving those in need.

OPENLY EMBRACING FASCISM AND NAZISM.

Being proud to be a racist.

Stealing.

#5

Image source: NemoOfConsequence, The Yuri Arcurs Collection / freepik

I am an introvert, but I think things were better when people were forced to interact socially more. People have forgotten how to be polite and respectfully disagree. It’s sad.

#6

Image source: ValhallaMama, Antoni Shkraba Studio / pexels

People thinking their uneducated opinion is just as good as that of people who took the time to study and learn a particular discipline. I’m not saying we should blindly accept the word of every professional out there, by all means, get a second or third or even more opinion from other professionals. But no, watching a bunch of online videos isn’t the same as med school.

#7

Image source: DeathSpiral321, EyeEm / freepik

Parents letting their kids behave like unruly monsters in public and not disciplining them.

#8

Image source: Fwumpy, freepik

Recording crime or misfortune with your phone and not actually doing something to help.

#9

Image source: yesitsyourmom, The Yuri Arcurs Collection / freepik

Abortion bans. Women having fewer rights now than then.

#10

Image source: UrguthaForka, Kelly / pexels

Tipping for every mundane transaction.

Tipping used to be for people doing actual service. Waiting your table at a restaurant or delivering food to your house. Doing your yard care. Something that involved significant action or effort.

Now there’s tip jars sitting in front of every cashier.

fwiw, I would prefer to just raise all service employees wages and get rid of tipping altogether.

#11

Image source: SnowblindAlbino, freepik

N*zis. Open racism. Oligarchy. Misogyny. Being anti-education, anti-science, anti-American. It’s really quite striking as much of this stuff we hear/see in the media today would have gotten people beaten or at least their careers ended when I was a kid in the 70s. Watergate, we thought, was as bad as it would ever get.

Just overall being *mean* to people…that was something bullies did, and they got their asses kicked for it. But now it’s a culture all its own, and we elevate people who take glee in making others suffer. It’s gross.

#12

Image source: Single-Major2055, CBC Television

I was watching a young father on YouTube reacting to Mr. Dressup, an old Canadian kid’s tv show.

Mr. Dressup was playing with a worm and making crafts out of a paper bag. The host said really complimentary things about the show, but said it lacked an educational element. He missed the point- teaching about respecting nature and being creative is just as important as learning your ABC’s.

I think people nowadays are so focused on productivity that they don’t see the value in life’s most simple activities, like digging in dirt and scribbling on a piece of paper. .

#13

Image source: BobsleddingToMyGrave, somemeans / freepik

Children mis-behaving and not having consequences. Now, every child has a disorder as an excuse for being a brat.

Children run the family now.

#14

Image source: thriftingforgold, SabrinaBracher / envatoelements

Playing music out loud in public, especially when hiking or on the bus.

#15

Image source: Miniver_Cheevy_98, slavamishura / envatoelements

Wearing pajamas and house shoes out in public. I’m not talking about a quick trip to the store, but purposefully putting on pajamas and house shoes to wear out. Not wearing slips under sheer dresses that don’t have liners ( no I don’t want to see your thong underneath your church dress).

#16

Image source: RadientCrone, carlesmiro / freepik

The lack of critical thinking skills.

#17

Image source: CloneClem, Getty Images / unsplash

Foul- mouthed kids, well under 15, even 10, in public, in your face, with no repercussions.

Even with parents nearby.

#18

The hatred of immigrants.

Back in the 80s and 90s, we were America. The home of the free and the land of the brave. People that came here were welcomed.

Now we’re the home of the oligarchs and the land of the fearful Christo-Nationalists that don’t have the balls to accept new company.

We’re the trash can organization of what our ideals were back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. At no point did any president hate immigrants. Even Ronald Reagan was all for immigration.

Now we have a bunch of 70 and 80 year old losers that are filled with spite running us straight to the ground. It’s f*****g sad.

I feel bad for so many of our youth that can’t figure out their way out of the hatred and mysogony within their algorythm. They’re all being brainwashed because they all weren’t educated.

Image source: Rosencrantz_IsDead

#19

Lack of empathy and general idea among young men that the far right is ok, HINT its not!

Image source: WelshLove

#20

Not bothering to RSVP. How hard is it to just respond to an invitation? It’s rude AF to not let people know whether or not you can make it. And, no, I didn’t just assume you’d be there 🙄.

Image source: BeaPositiveToo

#21

Image source: Flea-Surgeon, Sora Shimazaki / pexels

Politicians in democracies just flat-out demonstrably lying and there being no accountability for it.

Utility and insurance etc companies ripping you off if you don’t shop around when your contract ends. Loyalty had a value but now it is exploited as a weakness.

Concert tickets costing 100s, or even 1000s of pounds. I get that physical album sales are a fraction of what they were, but I don’t remember them costing 100s or 1000s of pounds each lol.

#22

Image source: zedicar, wavebreakmedia_micro / freepik

Not going to the emergency room because you’re afraid it will bankrupt you.

#23

Image source: PrivateTumbleweed, RDNE Stock project / pexels

People causing a scene in public. You keep your business to yourself, and if something is upsetting you, handle it privately and quietly.

#24

Image source: OkPomegranate9431, mediaphotos / freepik

Implying that everybody needs to be in counseling, and that every emotion you could possibly feel, is labeled and analyzed!

#25

Finding the misfortune of others entertainment, to the point where videos are taken/uploaded and you can hear the person/s laughing. Yes, people have always been bullies and cruel, but now it’s on a different level.

Image source: Cara_Bina

#26

Image source: HD-Thoreau-Walden, seventyfour / freepik

No failing grades in school. Just passed along to the next grade.

#27

Image source: ItsAllJustAHologram, benzoix / freepik

Mobile technology has led to employees being on call permanently. When I started working, once you left work, your time was your own…

#28

Parents getting involved in every moment of thier kids playing with other kids! I get that sometimes it’s hard to not get involved but when parents get involved in every single interaction and conflict and they don’t let children try and figure it out on their own I truly feel like children are not learning social skills, conflict, resolution, and simply the reality of life that you don’t get along with everybody and not everybody likes you, etc. On my street alone we have 10 children and it’s very clear that some of us stay out of things or we only step in when it’s a pretty major situation and other parents jump in at every single little conflict every single time their kid is upset to the point where they’re even knocking on Our door to discuss the situation. And I see this play out in public school as well. Kids are actually being completely held back from figuring anything out on their own when it comes to the same thing socialization conflict, resolution and now they’re also being sheltered from any potential risk. They’re not allowed to make snowballs on a snowy day, they’re not allowed to run on the pavement at recess… No running at recess are you kidding me? It’s absolutely ridiculous. They’re just being coddled and overly protected at every single turn and we wonder why even the generation a bit older are entitled a lot of the time, can’t handle projection can’t handle the stress of life, etc.

Image source: OpheliaJuliette

#29

Image source: TwpMun, freepik

Staring at screens all day.

#30

Saying the word bro every 6 seconds.

Image source: Chadisius

#31

Image source: Grouchy-Display-457, rawpixel.com / freepik

Ignoring civics and the constitution. Claiming religion and freedom are what they are not.

#32

Kids nolonger having freedom to roam and explore

Every now and then in one of the ask subreddits, you get questions like *”Could kids really bike places on their own like in those 1980s movies? Wasn’t that just a Hollywood trope?”*

It’s heartbreaking.

Image source: D-Alembert

#33

Men and women seeing each other as belonging to fundamentally different and somewhat hostile tribes. When I was young, men and women tended to view each other positively by default.

Image source: Tom__mm

#34

Image source: VanDriver1, Pavel Danilyuk / pexels

I don’t think gambling is a “good” thing. The ‘normalization” or forced acceptance of gambling on just about everything is taking advantage of people who have a weakness and causes a lot of problems in lives just so a few (including the government) can make money. Gambling ads can go the way of cigarette ads for all I care.

#35

Image source: Craftywitchy, prostock-studio / freepik

Ghosting people. It was not a word we used because it wasn’t something you could really do and if you just bailed on someone and refused to speak to them or see them again you better have a pretty good reason.

Now it seems like if you go in a couple of dates and you don’t really feel it, you can just cut someone off without a word and it’s honestly cruel.

Related: sending naked pictures of yourself to people. Holy c**p! I came of age in the 90’s and this would have been an INSANE idea. Unimaginable.