I’m sorry to say, but I disagree. I remember older people having been more respectful ever since I became aware of the world around me, even those only slightly older than myself.

I used to hang out with the “older kids” during high-school, Seniors and beyond, and these groups have been calmer and more polite, even when out drinking and doing stupid things.

On the flipside, the generations immediately after mine started behaving like… well, like animals early on… I still remember entering a 6th grade class while I was in the 8th and witnessing one of the students being hit in the head with a chair. I knew most of my generational peers and can tell you with absolute certainty that no such thing ever happened for as long as I was in school with them.

This extended throughout University as well, as the dorm in which I was staying got a lot (I mean, a LOT) noisier and more chaotic, to the point where the surroinding neighbours started calling the police pretty much regularly, because the freshmen were throwing mattresses and fridges out the window (literally). Edit to add: the worst we ever did during the three years I spent there (I’m talking my generation and those above us) was play the guitar a bit too loudly while hanging around in the hallway, sharing cheap beer.

And it goes for what I’ve said about neighbourhoods, too, the only people pumping music and constantly yelling at all hours are usually teenagers, students, or people my age. Most 40s and above can barely be heard after 10PM. I’ve never heard as much noise in the neighbourhoods in which I’ve lived throughout my life (I moved around a lot) until about 6-7 years ago. Everything got WAY worse starting with the tail end of the Lockdowns, too…