Art by R.J. Matson

CCSS

R.1, R.2, R.6, R.8, W.1, SL.1

Do Manners Matter?

Some say being polite is becoming a thing of the past. Should we care?

November 2024

by Talia Cowen

Your family is sitting around the dinner table. But no one is paying attention to the spaghetti. Your older sister is taking a selfie with her food. Your dad is busy picking salad out of his teeth. Your mom is sending work emails.

Oh, and your little brother just let out a huge, gross burp. As usual, he didn’t say “excuse me.”

There are many examples of bad manners at this dinner table. And scenes like this are happening across America. Eighty-five percent of Americans think that people are ruder than they were 10 years ago.

But is that such a bad thing? In the age of texting and TikTok, do good manners even matter anymore?

Your family is at the dinner table. But no one is eating. Your sister is taking a selfie. Your dad is picking salad out of his teeth. Your mom is sending emails.

And your brother just let out a loud, gross burp. He didn’t say “excuse me.”

There’s plenty of rudeness at this table. And scenes like this are not rare. Eighty-five percent of Americans think people are ruder than they were 10 years ago.

But is that so bad? Do good manners really matter these days?

Your family is sitting around the dinner table, but no one is paying attention to the spaghetti. Your older sister is taking a selfie with her food, your father is busy picking salad out of his teeth, and your mother is sending work emails.

Oh, and your little brother just let out a huge, gross burp. As usual, he didn’t say “excuse me.”

But is that such a bad thing? In the age of texting and TikTok, do good manners even matter anymore?

Respect and Care

Art by R.J. Matson

Manners are a set of rules. They tell people how to treat each other and how to act when they’re together. Experts say manners show others that you respect and care about them.

So what does it mean to have good manners? You might hold the door open for someone. You might give up your seat to an elderly person. You might simply say “please” when asking for another cookie.

“Good manners make other people feel good,” says Alex J. Packer. He’s the author of How Rude!

But manners do more than make people happy. They can also help keep them healthy. By covering your mouth when you sneeze, you protect people around you from getting sick.

And having good manners isn’t just good for others. It’s good for you too. Studies have shown that kids with good manners do better as adults. They get higher grades in school and impress people more easily.

Manners are a set of rules. They tell us how to treat each other. They tell us how to act when we’re together. Experts say good manners show others that you respect and care about them.

So what does it mean to have good manners? You might hold the door open for someone. You might give up your seat to an elderly person. You might just say “please” when asking for a cookie.

Alex J. Packer is an author. He wrote a book called How Rude! “Good manners make other people feel good,” he says.

That’s not all manners do. They can also help keep us healthy. By covering your mouth when you sneeze, you protect others from getting sick.

Good manners come with other perks too. Studies show that kids with good manners get better grades. They impress people more easily. And they do better as adults.

Manners are a set of rules that tell people how to treat each other and how to behave when they’re together. Experts say manners show others that you respect and care about them.

“Good manners make other people feel good,” says Alex J. Packer, author of the book How Rude!

In addition to making others happy, manners can help keep them healthy. By covering your mouth when you sneeze, for example, you protect those around you from getting sick.

And having good manners isn’t just good for others—it has benefits for you too. Studies have shown that kids with good manners get higher grades in school, impress people more easily, and are more successful as adults.

Silly Rules

But some people argue that many manners are a waste of time. Your days are already full of homework, activities, and time with your family. You don’t have an extra hour to write out thank-you notes for all your birthday gifts!

Besides, people today are more casual. We send texts instead of letters. We say “no prob” instead of “you’re welcome.” It’s not that people don’t care about each other. It’s just that the way we act now is different than how we acted in the past.

And think about the serious problems in the world today. We’re facing issues like war, disease, and pollution. Does it really matter if your elbows are on the table?

Maybe not. Still, some people believe you can’t go wrong by being polite. They say it’s better for you—and everyone else too.

But are good manners worth the time they take? You have homework. You have activities. You have family time. You don’t have time to write out thank-you notes for all your birthday gifts!

Besides, people today are more casual. We send texts, not letters. We say “no prob,” not “you’re welcome.” It’s not that we don’t care about each other. It’s just that the way we act has changed over time.

And think of the big problems in the world today. There’s war. There’s disease. There’s pollution. Does it really matter if your elbows are on the table?

Maybe not. Still, some people say it’s just better to be polite. They say it’s good for you—and for others.

But some people argue that many manners are a waste of time. With your days packed full of homework, activities, and family time, you don’t have an extra hour to write out thank-you notes for all your birthday gifts!

Besides, people today are more casual. We send texts instead of letters, and we say “no prob” instead of “you’re welcome.” It’s not that people don’t care about each other—it’s just that how we behave now is different from how we behaved in the past.

And considering all the serious problems in the world today—like war, disease, and pollution—does it really matter if your elbows are on the table?

Maybe not. All the same, some people believe you can’t go wrong by being polite. They say it’s better for you—and for everyone else too.