Social media is flooded with grievances about declining manners and a growing insensitivity to others. Is society genuinely becoming ruder, or are we simply misunderstanding each other? NUS lecturer Jonathan Sim weighs in.
Misunderstandings are not new, but they are made worse by the rise of digital communications. You are not alone. Complaints about rudeness are aplenty - be they about passive-aggressive WhatsApp messages, impatient drivers on the road, inconsiderate behaviours on public transport, or diners unhappy withA recent experience made me reconsider this. I received an e-mail from a student that seemed rude and antagonistic.
When people are unaware of such differences in cultural grammars, it is easy to perceive unexpected behaviours as rude. Younger generations, on the other hand, tend to perceive “Ok.” as passive-aggression - the sender is upset enough to go through the hassle of adding that final punctuation. As we interpret text messages through the lens of our perspective, we are prone to make quick judgments based on the limited information on our screens - making it easy to feel offended when none was intended.
Some, unfortunately, choose to reciprocate perceived rudeness with deliberate rudeness – contributing to the growing number of rude behaviours reported online.
Etiquette Kindness Communication
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