Today, I was walking to Journalism class when, all of a sudden, I felt a push then a splash go up my side. I looked around, then down, and saw a huge brown mess of hot chocolate on the floor.

But the perpetrator fled the scene.

I was infuriated, not because I was covered in splotches of hot chocolate, but because the perpetrator did two things: they didn’t apologize, and they left the mess for the custodial staff to clean.

My question: what happened to manners?

In the 60s and 70s, it was the social norm to say “please” and “thank you”. Young people were taught to say “you’re welcome” and “I’m sorry.”

In 2018, these old social norms seem to be thrown out the window, discarded like a cup of hot chocolate.

And, there can only be one reason for this; parents not teaching manners to their children.

Another issue is the lack of respect for teachers at all grade levels.

Social studies teacher Mr. Will Moher said that a student recently told him to do something anatomically impossible in class. “That same day I told a student to stop talking on the phone during class and then she got angry at me for it,” he said.  

I believe that cell phones have a direct link in explaining why today’s youth are so rude. Since people no longer have to be face-to-face with someone in order to have a conversation, they feel emboldened in their rudeness. The keyboard warriors are running rampant.

Granted, not all young people are rude. It’s the ones being rude, the ones telling off their teachers and spilling hot chocolate on strangers, that are giving the masses a bad name.

Parents, please help change this by telling your children to apologize and to say, “please and thank you.”

And students, if you make a mess of hot chocolate, please stop, say that you’re sorry and help clean it up.