HighlightsSurvey reveals Memphis is the city with the rudest kids in America.Respondents consider constant phone usage to be the most aggravating behavior.Experts attribute this trend to the addictive nature of social media, which makes children particularly vulnerable.
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A 2024 survey reveals Memphis has the rudest kids in America, and Philadelphia and Baltimore follow close behind
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Phone zombies, cursing, and blaring beats top the charts as the most obnoxious behaviors reported
Next up is the frequent use ofswear words. Memphis residents reported the most encounters with foul-mouthed youngsters, highlighting the issue of children using inappropriate language in public.
Finally, there’s the problem ofloud musicor videos being played in public. Many cities have children who are guilty of this, but according to the survey, no place seems to have it worse than the national average.
Other reported behaviors include disorderly conduct and a general lack of manners, such as avoiding eye contact and ignoring people.
Some Americans believe parents feel the greatest impact of increased rudeness, while others argue it is strangers who suffer the most
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The survey also asked Americans who they think bears the brunt of kids’ bad behavior. The majority (44.5%) believe it’sparentswho face the most disrespect. However, a significant portion (28.4%) say it’s actually strangers who get the worst of it, while another 27.2% believe kids direct their rudeness toward their peers.
When asked what is to blame for the increase in annoying behavior, respondents pointed squarely at social media
The 2023 edition of the survey successfully highlighted which behaviors and cities ranked as the rudest, but it did not delve into the causes behind the phenomenon. This year, the researchers included nine possible reasons and tasked the respondents with ordering them from most to least egregious.
As mentioned, kids and teens being glued to their phones was reported more than any other behavior. A whopping 74% of Americans believe social media platforms contribute to children’s rude behavior, placing this reason at the top of the list.
Rounding out the top five reasons are kids being spoiled, which ranks fourth, and bad influences from celebrities and social media influencers, in fifth place. Interestingly, the survey also found that 42% of Americans believe poor mental health can contribute to misbehavior, while nearly 40% blame gentle parenting styles.
Turns out, according to experts, kids and teens are not glued to their phones due to rudeness but because they are addicted and simply unable to put them down
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Haynes explains that social media notifications act like a lever pull on a slot machine. We never know exactly what kind of social reward – a like, a comment, a message – might be waiting for us. This uncertainty triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, keeping us checking our phonesrelentlessly.
This constant loop to seek social validation online can negatively impact our face-to-face interactions. When we become accustomed to immediate feedback and dopamine hits from the digital world, we might become impatient or dismissive during real-life conversations that don’t provide the same instant gratification. This can manifest as rude behavior, interrupting others, or shortening in-person interactions to get back to our phones and the promise of another dopamine rush.
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that rates media suitability for children, has conducted numerous surveys and studies on the matter. In 2016, one of itssurveysshowed that half of teenagers reported feeling addicted to their phones. In 2021,another oneshowed an increase of 17% in screen use among them, and in 2023, anotherpublished studyfound that teens checked their devices more than a hundred times per day.
With rudeness on the rise and social media increasing its presence in daily life, the main course of action might be early prevention
The surveys reveal a noticeable uptick in rudeness over the years, with respondents often pointing fingers at social media and phone use. Experts highlight how addictive social media can be and the perpetual quest for validation as major culprits.
Tackling this challenge calls for a multifaceted approach: raising awareness about social media’s sway, possibly tweaking addictive features, and promoting healthier ways to connect. Acting sooner rather than later could pave the way for managing and curbing the not-so-polite behaviors linked to social media addiction in kids and teens.You May LikeMan Doesn’t Like Kids And Won’t Get Involved In Nephew’s Life, Doesn’t Get Why It’s WrongMantas KačerauskasWoman Refuses To Care For Old Mother After Learning She Won’t Be Getting The HouseMindaugas BalčiauskasMan Has The Audacity To Ask For Help After Abandoning A Kid For 15 Years, Gets A Reality CheckViktorija Ošikaitė
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