You would think that by the time adolescents hit high school, they would know how to be respectful towards everyone around them. Whether it’s due to the excessive use of technology and deprivation of human contact, or simply a trend among millennials, there seems to be something wrong with young people’s manners. It’s unfortunate that basic treatment of others is lacking. As if this world needs more disrespect in light of recent events around the world.
It occurred to me while waiting in line at the Main Cafeteria of my high school during the first week of school that basic pleases and thank yous were not being so much as uttered to any of the cafeteria workers. The nice people who hand us our food every day were being treated like they spit in our pasta for fun. When in reality, these people are some of the kindest humans I know.
One of the ladies who works in my school’s cafeteria is the mother of a good friend of mine. I make it a daily goal of mine to smile, ask her how she’s doing, look her in the eye, and say thank you. And in return, I get the same treatment. This basic routine could be executed by anyone if they put in the effort, but for some reason teenagers think they’re “all too stressful and tiring” school days are more important than respecting the workers of our school. I watched in blatant confusion as a freshman in front of me points to the pasta with meat sauce, says “I want that”, grabs the tray, and pushes herself through the crowd. You’d think that by at least fourteen, people would know how to ask for food.
One argument could be that parents aren’t teaching their kids right. However, this argument can be applied to many other issues teenagers have to work on as they get older, and has been relevant for decades. One thing about our generation that differs from others is the use of technology we use daily. We are all so used to staring at our screens, getting information with the press of a button, and being frustrated when you don’t hear back from someone after five minutes. The world is longer about leisure communication, it’s about getting instant responses during human interaction.
“Please” and “Thank you” seem so simple and unimportant. But giving someone the decent respect any human being deserves is crucial. It’s hard to imagine how a conversation about manners can turn into a universal one, but it relates in a simple way. We’re living in complicated times, and when someone like Donald Trump is leading in the U.S. presidential campaign, it would be nice to know that basic morals are still being asserted into the community. In a world where news articles flash in our faces about corrupt governments and horrific events, the least we can all do is say thank you to the strangers that treat us with kindness.
