When did being rude to each other become the cool thing to do? Are manners and politeness becoming extinct? In order to break the self-involved teenage stereotype we must be different. Instead of people being shocked when we say “thank you” it should be the other way around. It isn’t hard to smile at someone, or hold the door open. Being kind is something that should be the norm.

      Are we too apathetic to show any sort of emotion any sort of care for other people? “I hate everyone in the world, god why is life so hard, I don’t have time to thank you.” These are just some of the sentences spit out of our angry little mouths. Sure, I know being the lukewarm, unmotivated, distant teenager is way easier then trying hard, but make sure to not clap when your classmate puts their all in the presentation. Just keep sitting on your butt with the glazed over eyes. not showing any respect.

      We, generation Z, can’t keep blaming society, because we are society. When will it be our fault for the fact that we may be the rudest, self-absorbed, generation? We are the ones who will be the next president, the next CEO, the next parents, and the next neighbors. How we act now will change our future lives. It isn’t too late to say thank you, you’re welcome, or even a simple hello.

       The other day, I was sitting in class and a teacher kindly asked another fellow student to come talk to her,

      “SHH!! Can’t you see I’m in the middle of talking to someone!?” The student rudely told the teacher.

      I was blown away by the way the student responded to his teacher. The attitude of his voice and demeanor, the anger that flashed across his face. When, someone who we have been taught to only show respect asks a question, no matter what kind of day you are having you respond politely. It dawned on me after I watched the whole incident break out; we as a whole are so mean to each other. Teenagers to teenagers, teenagers to adults, I don’t understand what happened to all of us along the way, from elementary school to high school, teenagers can be just so dang mean.

      To better understand how teenagers have lost their manners, on Oct. 6 I conducted a little experiment at lunch. In 10 minutes 33 students passed through the Patriot and the Main Event line, but only six students, said thank you to the cafeteria workers. What makes you think that you can just breeze through grab your food and leave without acknowledging the person handing and providing you lunch? You may just be so focused on getting your hot Bosco Sticks to your table that all else runs out of your mind, but use what your momma taught you and say “thank you”. One cafeteria worker told me that it is worse in the morning. “Come around breakfast time you would be blown away by people, thank you is a lost art,” she said.

       Being polite isn’t just saying thank you, but it is the attitude you show. For example, I have overheard other students saying, “Just leave your trash it’s not our job,” when leaving the commons after lunch.  It’s not the custodian’s job to clean off our dirty, sticky, trash-filled tables. It is your own responsibility; I cannot stand to watch this world be filled with careless disrespectful teens not looking out to make others live an easier life with just a simple task.

      Today in 2015, we have made a lot of advancements in a lot of different parts of the world, yet we have taken a big step back to caveman life without manners. We are not paying attention to others, thinking only for ourselves, and just being straight vulgar. When was the last time that you complimented somebody just because the good of it? When was the last time you did a good deed without anyone praising you? Has all of our courtesy been based off what people see and think about us? “Oh, it doesn’t count I won’t get college credit for this.” Who cares about opening the door for a mom with her hands full, you won’t get a raise. “Why should I thank this person who delivered me food I deserve this, it’s their job they don’t need to be thanked for doing their job.” Just stop. We all live in the same world, we are on the same sinking boat, with the small time you have in this life why not say thank you.