By Ruhi Slatel
Social norms and rules frequently change, sometimes for the worse. Here is why I think Gen Beta needs to alter their behavior.
Generations always rebel against previous ones. Millennials discovered Tumblr and that one cursive font. Gen Z embraced a cynical attitude best explained by the realization that everyone and everything dies eventually. Similarly, Generation Alpha REALLY loves the words “skibidi” and “toilet,” especially when you put them together. Now, I believe Gen Beta wants to remove social courtesies. While this certainly sets the generation apart, this form of rebellion is extremely harmful to relationships and social skills.
Small interactions with these small humans just perturb me! I consider myself the most courteous and kind person on the face of the Earth. I give personalized thank you notes to the people I pass in the hallway and hold the door for the friendly ghost that follows me around. Once, I even entered the room of a stranger in need and took out their trash for them. However, the members of Gen Beta often neglect even the most basic courtesies, such as saying “thank you” instead of incoherent babble. On more than one occasion, these people have slipped through the slightest nursery door opening to avoid going night-night — even while I carried bedtime stories. After witnessing and hearing these acts, I fear there is an etiquette crisis among members of Gen Beta.
Normally, I would write about a counter-argument that reveals a previously unexplored idea that etiquette is not declining among members of Gen Beta. In this case, every nook, cranny and crevice I have searched just had cobwebs, so I moved on and wrote the rest of this article.
A common complaint I have is that these babies think it is acceptable to walk around with no pants on! Wearing a diaper is inappropriate, and one is unlikely to be promoted if they dress similarly in the workplace. All of these issues contribute to challenges in adulthood that lead to managers and bosses actively not hiring members of Gen Beta. About 31% of hiring managers prefer older workers over Gen Beta applicants because they are “always sticky, poop everywhere and have some sort of aversion to peas.” Patterns of behavior that begin in infancy continue into the workplace — especially that diaper thing — and many hiring managers do not want to employ individuals they deem problematic.
So, for those of you little ones who have a vested interest in improving etiquette, here’s what I think you should do. Think of your FAVORITE episode of “Dora the Explorer.” When you want to shit yourself, cry because you’re hungry or display your lack of object permanence, think this: How would Dora conduct herself? Repeat this like a mantra throughout the day. With the etiquette crisis, I do not have a solution. What I do know is that it is time to address that smelly diaper, because it certainly does not seem to be going away anytime soon.
