Where Did Basic Courtesy Go?

There’s a noticeable shift in how younger people interact in everyday situations, and it’s hard to ignore once you start paying attention.

I was raised with simple rules. Hold the door. Say thank you. Acknowledge people. Show basic respect regardless of who they are. Nothing complicated. Just small actions that make shared spaces work.

Lately, that seems to be slipping.

Walking back from the park during school pickup, there’s a pattern. You approach a group on a path. Normally, both sides adjust slightly. It’s unspoken. You move, they move, everyone passes without friction. That’s how it used to work.

Now, it’s different. Some kids don’t move at all. They hold their line and expect you to step aside at the last second. When you do, there’s no acknowledgment. No thanks. No nod. Nothing.

Same thing at the shop. You hold the door open. Two kids walk straight through. Silence. No eye contact. No recognition that someone just made their life slightly easier.

Individually, these moments are small. Together, they point to something bigger.

It feels like a lack of awareness more than anything. Not just politeness, but basic consideration for other people in shared spaces. The small habits that keep things running smoothly are being missed.

To be fair, it could be isolated. It could be specific groups, specific days, or just bad timing. Not every young person acts this way. But the frequency is enough to raise questions.

The bigger issue sits with how these behaviours are learned.

You don’t become polite by accident. It’s not automatic. It comes from reinforcement. Parents pointing things out. Correcting behaviour. Setting expectations. Not just hoping kids will copy what they see, but actively guiding them.

“Say thank you.”
“Hold the door.”
“Move to one side.”

Simple prompts. Repeated enough times, they stick.

Without that, you get what’s starting to show. People moving through the world without acknowledging others. Less interaction. Less awareness. More friction in basic situations.

It’s not about being old-fashioned. It’s about function. These small behaviours reduce tension. They make public spaces easier to navigate. When they disappear, everything feels slightly off.

The question is whether this is a real trend or just selective experience.

Are others noticing the same thing? Or is it just a handful of situations standing out more than they should?

Either way, it’s something worth paying attention to. Small habits shape bigger behaviours over time.