I’m currently working the front desk of Le Mans Hall. It’s 8:03am. Is the time an excuse to be unfriendly? No.
As I age, I become more and more aware of the flaws my parents constantly point out about my generation. I hate to admit that they’re right, but they are.
I’ve noticed this trend in many different settings. From retail, to food service, to working the front desk in a dorm. People are either too caught up in their phones or just “too cool” to even acknowledge the person in front of them.
Why is that? Why is it so hard to look someone in the eyes and say hi?
Most people blame social media and cellphones. I don’t think cellphones are the only thing to blame. How about how parents raise their children these days? Think about it. When you make a trip to the grocery store or even church on Sunday, how many misbehaved children do you see? I’ve rarely seen a parent actually punish their child. All the parent does is yell at the kid and hope they’ll magically stop misbehaving. I’m 20 years old and I don’t have a kid, but even I know that yelling doesn’t fix anything.
Another girl just walked past me and looked the other way as I raised my head preparing to say hi.
I think multiple factors contribute to how rude and unfriendly my generation is. It can be related to how they were raised, what kind of environment they grew up in, and the number of activities the person was involved in during their childhood. I’ve noticed that if a person is apart of several different extracurricular activities, they are more likely to have a greater number of friends and a more outgoing personality. Being shy isn’t even an excuse anymore. People live one life on Facebook and another in real life. I’ve witnessed people being so vocal on the internet and so standoffish in person. If you’re social on the internet, try being social in public.
I hope this catches the attention of not only teenagers and young adults, but also parents that are in the midst of raising their children. Everyone knows and loves someone that has a permanent smile on their face and greets everyone that crosses their path.
I challenge you to go out of your way and say hi to a stranger today. You never know, you could make their day.
Photos provided by the author
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