“People Only Did That Sort Of Thing If Someone Was Being A Creep”: Adults Are Revealing The Things That Were Considered Rude 20 Years Ago, But Are Normal Today
“People, for the most part, didn’t ever do either of those things unless it was a super good reason.”
Back in the early aughts, it was considered “rude” to do certain things, like not saying goodbye via text. Now, people ghost all the time. So when Reddit user jakubbog asked: “What’s something that was considered rude 20 years ago but is normal now?” a lot of people shared their thoughts. Here’s what they said below:
1. “Not writing ‘brb’ when stepping away from the computer while chatting online or ending the conversation without saying bye.”
2. “Not answering the phone every single time someone calls. I think I probably pick up 10% of the phone calls I receive. I have an outgoing message letting people know that I don’t answer unsolicited calls from numbers I don’t recognize, so they need to leave a message, and I’ll get back to them.”
—UnicornVoodooDoll
“I read somewhere ‘a ringing phone is an invitation, not an obligation’ and that was a life-changing moment for me.”
—laughguy220
3. “TALKING DURING MOVIES!!! I swear, just before, and especially after the pandemic, this has gotten SO MUCH WORSE. What the hell is with people talking during movies like they own the place now?! Also, ghosting people or flaking out at the last minute with something that was planned on in advance. People, for the most part, didn’t ever do either of those things unless it was a super good reason. Like with flaking out, it wasn’t even considered flaking out. People would pretty much only cancel plans at the last minute if they had some kind of emergency or something unexpected came up.”
4. “Professionals with visible tattoos and creative piercings.”
—UnicornVoodooDoll
“I did shitwork at an accounting firm for several years and saw that one change in real time. They had a no visible tattoos rule and got rid of it once they realized it was a losing battle, and they couldn’t afford to shut out a significant segment of the younger generation.”
—GreenZebra23
5. “Talking openly about money like salaries, rent, or even how much you spent on something used to be considered really impolite or ‘taboo’ in casual conversation, but now, it’s becoming normal and even encouraged as people push for transparency, fair pay, and breaking down financial stigma.”
6. “Unsolicited talking about religion and politics.”
—Thayes1413
7. “Being a nazi used to be frowned upon. America is a dumpster fire.”
8. “For some people, it’s now normal to film or take pictures of strangers, then spread them around like it’s nothing. Rescue services have literally done campaigns telling people not to film or photograph accident scenes. The fact that some people need to be reminded about how it would suck to have your or a loved one’s emergency spread uncontrollably as entertainment is a chilling thought.”
—Masseyrati80
9. “Not having common manners.”
10. “Talking over someone. I swear it’s gotten worse.”
—psycharious
11. “Not taking your earbuds out when talking to people. Wait — still rude.”
12. “Twenty years ago, video-calling in public would’ve been social suicide. Now, people FaceTime on full speaker in the bus, giving the whole aisle front-row seats to Aunt Linda’s casserole recipe. We just pop in our earbuds and call it ambiance.”
—CoffeeTeaJournal
13. “Two decades ago, pulling out your phone and looking at it while talking to someone was seen as a sign that you were bored or that the other person was unimportant. Now, it’s so normal that most people don’t even bat an eye.”
14. “Not answering the door. I legit freeze, stay quiet, and check my porch camera before even thinking about answering the door these days if I am not expecting someone. And I only started doing that because I have elderly neighbors who occasionally drop by, both for emergencies and to give us food. (They garden and give us excess produce. Also, she is an Italian grandma and sometimes sends over amazing dinners if she cooked too much.)”
—AtheneSchmidt
15. And finally, “Breaking up with someone via text. It’s still rude AF for a more serious relationship if you ask me. But it is unfortunately very normalized.”
Is there something else that was considered rude 20 years ago but is normal now? Tell us what it is in the comments or anonymously in the Google Form below: