Do you feel like respect has become less important in America? Unfortunately, many habits and practices are no longer treated with the respect they deserve. Here are 20 things our parents and grandparents did that used to be respected but aren’t anymore.
Wearing Formal Clothes
It used to be a requirement for workers to dress in business attire, with a smart suit immediately demanding respect. However, YouGov reports that while “wearing a suit to the office was once a default expectation,” now only “7% of workers say they don ‘business attire’ at work.” Office culture is certainly more casual these days.
Writing Handwritten Letters
It doesn’t make much sense to write a letter when we can text each other from our smartphones. But a handwritten letter adds a personal touch to communication and used to be a well-respected practice. They were a sincere and heartfelt way to talk to others but are now seen as outdated and time-consuming.
Making Home-Cooked Meals
Our lives move much faster now than they used to, so our meals have gotten faster as well. The value of a home-cooked meal has been forgotten in some households, where takeout and microwaved food are more common. But a well-made home-cooked meal used to be worthy of a lot of respect.
Talking On Landline Phones
A little easier than writing a handwritten letter, speaking to someone over the landline used to be the main way to communicate and catch up. However, landlines are rarely used anymore as we’ve all switched to smartphones. The BBC states that “40% of us have stopped using a landline phone altogether.”
Reading Physical Newspapers
Many Americans used to pick up a newspaper from the store weekly or daily, but it’s now redundant. The respected traditional image of a father browsing the newspaper at the kitchen table is no longer a reality, as we get all the news updates we need from our smartphones.
Going To The Local Library
When was the last time you went to your local library? Going to these buildings full of books and opportunities for learning used to be a respected habit, but now everyone uses the internet to find out things and orders books from online retailers. As a result, many libraries have lost their funding.
Always Using Manners
Some of us might still hold the door open for others, but on the whole, people are using their manners a lot less. We’ve become more informal and less respectful, even when we’re talking to strangers on the street. Many people forget even the simple ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ when they go out.
Wearing Wristwatches
A smart wristwatch always commanded respect from other people, but they’re becoming more of an outdated fashion piece now. We can use our smartphones or smartwatches to tell the time, so wristwatches just aren’t practical or useful anymore.
Listening To People In Charge
The Guardian suggests “many worry about the erosion of confidence both in expertise and in public institutions” and that “scepticism about authority” can lead “people towards conspiracy theories.” The people in charge used to be listened to as they were seen as worthy of respect. Nowadays, people tend not to trust authority figures or give them this respect.
Staying At The Same Job
The rise of the ‘gig economy’ and freelance work has led to career instability. Many people are also likely to change jobs for better salaries and opportunities. However, there used to be a respected path of climbing the ladder at a company and staying at just one job.
Using Customer Loyalty Programs
It seems like every supermarket and store has a loyalty program now, but they used to be rarer and more respected. Our views on them have also changed – many people don’t think they provide good value and prefer immediate discounts rather than gradually building up rewards.
Getting A College Degree
A college degree used to be an amazing achievement that commanded a lot of respect from others. But now, more and more Americans are going to college, and many are questioning the decreasing value of higher education, especially alongside rising prices.
Going To Vote
Many Americans are enthusiastic about politics and voting, but others don’t vote and no longer trust political parties and leaders. Pew Research Center found that “the U.S. ranks 31st” in “turnout among the voting-age population,” lagging behind many other countries. Participating in politics just doesn’t seem to be respected as much.
Greeting People With A Handshake
A firm handshake used to be a way to show respect to a new acquaintance and receive respect in return. However, the pandemic caused a shift toward reducing physical contact with others, and now virtual business meetings mean that no handshakes are required at all.
Using Traditional Banking
The days of going to your local bank branch to manage your money are long gone. It used to be respectable to visit your bank regularly, but now we have online and mobile banking, which has all but replaced traditional banking.
Working In The Office
Many office workers now have either fully remote or hybrid roles, meaning they don’t go to their workplace at all or only come in on certain days. Showing up to the office every day used to be a respected sign of productivity, but now it just doesn’t matter as much.
Watching News On TV
It might be more modern than reading a newspaper, but getting your news from the TV used to be just as respectable. However, there has been growing distrust in the U.S. towards news channels, and many people get their news from social media or websites instead.
Practicing Formal Writing Skills
Knowing how to write a formal, eloquent letter of complaint – or one of praise – used to be important and respected. But emails and text messages are the new norm, and they’re much more informal and concise, so these skills no longer command the same respect that they used to.
Using Professional Titles
As well as not having to wear a suit and tie to work, you may have noticed that workplaces are shifting towards more casual language as well. It’s rare to address managers or other senior staff members as ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’, and some workplaces try to reduce hierarchies by making all employees equal.
Attending Church Regularly
The last thing on our list today is a habit that used to instantly suggest that a family was respectable. People used to go to church every week, sometimes several times a week, but The Washington Post says that “millions of Americans left church” and no longer attend regularly or even at all.
Up Next: 19 American Foods that Are Not Allowed in Other Countries
We can debate all day about who has the safest food supply in the world. Though, I’d bet you would be surprised at how many everyday American foods are banned in other countries. Most are due to chemical additives and pesticides, which, in places like the EU, cannot be approved for use unless proven safe. Let’s take a look at 19 of them.
19 American Foods that Are Not Allowed in Other Countries
19 Things That Will Happen When You Stop Drinking Alcohol
Whether you identify as an alcoholic or a casual drinker, alcohol can have a significant negative impact on your health. This is why more and more people are choosing to go cold turkey for the sake of their well-being. If you’re considering going sober but need a little more convincing, we’ve got you covered. Here are 19 things that will happen when you stop drinking alcohol.
19 Things That Will Happen When You Stop Drinking Alcohol
17 Things Guests Actually Notice Right Away About Your House
Inviting people into your home is a big deal. You may be very house-proud or house-conscious, and if you are either, you’ll likely get anxious about hosting. If this sounds like you, stop worrying and focus on the following 17 things that guests actually notice right away about your house.
17 THINGS GUESTS ACTUALLY NOTICE RIGHT AWAY ABOUT YOUR HOUSE