Why has western society’s attitude towards respecting its elders changed so drastically?

[BrightBubblyKat]

I’ve heard and seen behaviour from school kids on buses towards their elders and seen commercials painting elders as foolish and weak, whereas they used to be revered, even in my generation, gen Y. My mum used to say; ‘Always respect your elders. They fought in the war for you.’

[Anonymous]

Simple. Young people are actively taught to hate their country and it’s past... who else can they blame but the old people for the state of the world?

If you’re told over and over again that things are terrible, that society is crumbling, that the world is going to come to an end, and you happen to be young, then it follows that the only people you can blame for the state of things are old people. It’s THEIR fault. Certainly not yours. I mean you’re only a twenty year old. A teenager. Etc.

Then it also follows that if it’s not your fault, and that it is the fault of past generations, then you’d naturally think they bungled things up and that they shouldn’t and can’t be respected.

So, it becomes very easy (and convenient ) for young people to blame past generations and become disrespectful of them. Especially if you’re only told day after day after day in school, on social media, on the news, on tv, that old people... BOOMERS ruined everything.

History, like people, is more complex and complicated than that. And who has time for that when you’ve got Tiktok to watch?

[DannyUk2017]

Because of the 2000's generation... The gov't wanted to make sure that the whole world is messed up. Because these day's teens have "Rights". Normally my kids will have rights when they have their own place and provide for themselfs or at the age of 18 are somewhat stable in life, until then..."under my roof and my bed and my table" they'll have My Rights! The shame of being finger pointed at, or being told to parents that they have been caught smoking, drinking etc.. thise times are Gone! So for them the eldery poses a real threat to their rebelious life.🤷‍♂️

[MiddleAgedClimbee]

It is sad to hear of this occurrence. Perhaps a breakdown in family ties, lack of inclusion of elderly family members with younger generations.

[Levin]

Respect should be mutual.

Older people have pillaged society and really fucking the younger generations up with idiotic policies and moronic politics.

[KostasKouvalis]

Young people have gotten smart and realized that a lot of old people use their age and that notion as an excuse to be bullies. Respect should be earned and work both ways

[boggboss]

Because basic public attitudes towards basic respect of eachother has also drastically changed

[Anonymous]

I have respect for everyone by default until I'm given a reason to revoke it. But why should elders have any more or less respect than anyone else simply for being elders?

[jahaims]

Because blindly respecting someone is ignorant

[eagle1951]

it's the way there parents were taught