SINGAPORE: A Singaporean took to social media on Monday (Sept 2) to express his concerns about the public etiquette of the younger generation.
In his post on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, he began by asking a question that’s probably crossed the minds of many commuters:
“Is it just me, or have you also noticed a rise in younger people, like secondary school to polytechnic students, cutting in front and entering the MRT before others have exited?”
He went on to describe his personal experiences, recounting how, on multiple occasions, he found himself trying to exit the train, only to be met with a flood of younger commuters “forcing their way in” before he could step out.
“Disclaimer: I didn’t take my time to exit slowly,” he added, emphasizing that the issue wasn’t about passengers taking too long to exit.
This observation made him wonder whether this behaviour points to a deeper societal problem. “Do you think this is a generational ‘survival of the fittest/entitlement’ mentality, or is it just poor upbringing?” he asked at the end of his post.
“I see people of all ages do this.”
In the comments section, several Singaporean Redditors weighed in, observing that the issue of poor public etiquette is not limited to the younger generation.
One Redditor expressed, “Dunno why you’re singling out young people here. In my experience, the aunties and uncles are just as bad. Maybe they are just giving as good as they get.”
Another echoed this sentiment and said, “Not just the kids; I see people of all ages do this. People used to be much better at etiquette, but since covid, I noticed the rise in this behaviour.”
A few also highlighted systemic issues, such as the perceived lack of SMRT staff actively monitoring and enforcing proper behaviour.
One Redditor pointed out, “There’s a general lack of SMRT staff patrolling the grounds to remind people to stand behind the yellow line. The most I’ve seen them do is stand still and hold a sign, that’s all.
SG needs to do better and take more deterrent measures against bad behavior, and harsher penalties like higher transport fares for those who flout the rules.”
Others agreed with the post’s author, asserting that the younger generation’s public manners reflect poor upbringing. They attributed this issue to a shift in family dynamics over the past two decades, particularly the rise of dual-income households.
While schools do make efforts to teach manners and etiquette, many feel that parents still play a crucial role in instilling these values, especially when travelling with their children on public transport.
One Redditor added, “I think in general the kids have bad manners lol. Once had a primary school kid banged me and almost caused me to drop my drink outside while they were waiting for their bbt.
The kid didn’t say anything, mom simply questioned ‘you don’t need to apologise?’ then kid shrugged it off and mom pulled him away??”
Another shared, “I think kids these days have very bad manners, or not brought up properly. I’ve also noticed a lot of kids just crossing the roads/zebra crossing without checking if vehicles have stopped.
I don’t know if it’s because maids are now bringing up our kids, and teaching them what is the norm to them…”
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