Top 10 Socially Acceptable Things That Should Be Considered Unacceptable

We live in a world full of unwritten rules and social norms that guide our daily interactions. Most of these norms have a purpose - they keep society running smoothly and ensure we're not stepping on each other's toes too much. But what about those norms that seem to do more harm than good? Or the ones that have stuck around for way too long, refusing to evolve with the times?

We're talking about the things that people do every day, the things that no one blinks an eye at but maybe should cause a collective pause. Why do we just accept them? Maybe because it's easier, or perhaps we've just never really stopped to think about it. Either way, this list is all about challenging the status quo.
The Top Ten
Parents not calming their kids down in public

Look, I get it. Sometimes kids are upset, and there's nothing you can do, no matter what you try. We were all kids at some point. But when parents do absolutely nothing, then it's a problem. That's just lazy parenting, and it encourages the child to continue acting out. By not doing anything, you're teaching them that it's socially acceptable. I think I speak for the entire general public when I say: take charge and parent your child.

The worst situations occur when you're on an airplane, bus, or somewhere you can't easily escape. All you can do is plug in headphones to try and block out the screaming and crying. I'm fine with parents giving kids a tablet or something to keep them occupied, as long as they aren't screaming at the top of their lungs. Just keep it at a reasonable volume. If I can hear their show or game, it's too loud.

Distracted driving

While this behavior might not be considered "acceptable," plenty of people do it without a second thought. Whether it's eating, texting, looking at something on the side of the road, or scrolling to find the perfect song on your playlist, it's extremely dangerous.

Taking your focus off the road can lead to a car accident, causing harm not only to yourself and anyone else in the car but also to others. This is what they teach you in driver's ed: put the phone down when you're driving. Even if you're not going far, whatever you're doing can wait.

Using speakerphone in public

Why do people do this? Have you ever heard of headphones? I can promise you that nobody wants to hear the conversation you're having on the phone. If you have to take a phone call in public, call back later when you're in a quieter place to have more privacy. Or even better, just text the person and have the conversation that way.

The same thing applies to people who listen to music or videos too loudly without earbuds. Be considerate of everyone else.

I hate when people use TikTok in public places and on public transport without headphones.

Asking couples when they are going to have kids

First of all, this is a rude question to ask, and it's very invasive. It's not anyone else's business whether or not a couple has kids. On top of that, unless you're family, why would you even care in the first place? Even if you are family, it's still a rude question to ask.

There's no reason why you should be trying to influence or nudge people into having kids. It's a big decision to make and a massive commitment in multiple ways. Plus, you don't know if it's a sensitive topic, such as if they have suffered a miscarriage in the past or are incapable of conceiving children.

You're essentially asking someone if they have been intimate with their partner, and it's creepy and awkward. It makes you come off as very nosy about

other people's relationships and things that are none of your business.

Entry-level positions requiring several years of experience

Why is it that companies list their entry-level jobs and then say you need six years of experience? This defeats the whole purpose. An entry-level job is one where pretty much anyone could walk in and get trained on-site for what they need to do. It's meant for high school students who need some cash, like working at McDonald's, for example. It's also for those who have just graduated from college and are looking for the first job they can land with their degree.

The point of an entry-level job is to build up work experience for higher-level positions. Let's not even talk about unpaid internships. They are useless. Nobody wants to be hired to do office chores without gaining any meaningful experience. It's frustrating trying to find jobs that have requirements that are impossible to meet.

If you're looking for an entry-level job, you're obviously seeking experience that you don't currently have. Otherwise, you wouldn't be looking for an entry-level job.

Documenting daily life on social media

It's no surprise that people feel the need to let the entire world know what they're doing at every moment of the day. I don't care if you got Starbucks this morning. I don't care if you got a fancy-looking dish at a restaurant. You're just begging for attention.

Personally, I only post something if it's a special occasion, like traveling to a famous landmark. Worse yet are parents who like to post pictures of their kids on their Facebook page without their permission. They really try to embarrass you in front of their friends for no reason.

Sometimes it's okay if it's a family photo or something like an achievement of some kind. But after you're old enough to have social media, parents need to stop posting your pictures on their accounts without permission from you.

Forcing religion on others

I don't remember having religion forced upon me in person. However, I think some parents force religion down their kids' throats, even in America, which literally has the First Amendment protecting freedom of religion. While I don't have first-hand experience with this, it must be extremely annoying to have religion shoved down your throat.

There was someone online who tried to force Christianity on me (I'm non-religious). That's the reason why I still can't really accept that religion. I accept everything else, though.

Going to work while sick

I feel like a lot of employers give employees a hard time about taking time off for being sick. This is mainly because they think people are lying and faking illness. Consequently, people try to tough it out and go to work just to avoid their manager reprimanding them. The problem is that they end up exposing everyone else around them to illness.

COVID has somewhat changed this dynamic, thankfully. However, many managers are still very strict about this issue. As a result, a lot of people are "encouraged" to go into work and risk spreading disease just so the company can function and upper management doesn't get upset. It's as if you have to prove to the company that you're genuinely sick. Yet, if you do go to work sick, they will still ridicule you and ask why you didn't call in. It's essentially a lose-lose situation.

On one end, yes, companies need their employees to function, but if people are sick, they need to rest and heal rather than continue to work and stress their already unhealthy condition.

Silencing questions

The truth fears no investigation.

Smoking in front of children

Not only does it set a bad example for kids, inadvertently teaching them that it's okay to smoke when really it's not, but it also exposes children to secondhand smoke from a very young age, which can have consequences on their health. Please, if you're a smoker and you have kids, don't do it in front of your kids. At the very least, let them know as early as possible that it's bad for their health and, most importantly, that it's one of the hardest things to quit.

It's not good for a child's development. It has already been established that smoking is bad, so why would you do it in front of your kids? Especially if you have an addiction gene in your family, it's a bad influence on younger minds.

The Newcomers

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? Using "autistic" and "retarded" as insults
The Contenders
Loud motorbikes

In countries such as Switzerland, two-wheelers that make noises above 80 dB will be fined. During the lockdowns in 2020, many people complained about the noises made by these vehicles, which led to the passing of this law and stricter controls.

Who really needs a loud motorbike anyway?

Like, we know that your bike can go vroom vroom. You don't have to flex it.

Girls hitting boys

This is overlooked sexism. People usually ignore when a girl hits a boy, but when it's the other way around, the police are called.

The fact that girls can hit boys and get away with it, but boys aren't allowed to fight back, is feminism at its core.

I'm a woman saying this because I agree that domestic abuse, or anything like it, is wrong no matter the gender.

Babies crying in public places

Please stop discriminating against little children! Babies can't help it. It's their way of communicating. If you're annoyed, just go to a different area.

Bringing little kids to R-rated movies

Seriously, find a sitter or someone to watch your kid. If a movie is rated R, it could contain any combination of violence, horror, blood, death, and strong language - you get the idea. The point is, kids generally don't like that kind of stuff. It can be traumatic for them and a nightmare for you and everyone else in the theater.

I'll even go as far as to say, don't bring your kids to movies in general unless it's a film specifically targeted for children. I can speak on behalf of the rest of the theater - nobody wants to hear a screaming child.

Some kids might like horror and gory stuff, but some doesn't equal all.

Toddlers breaking other people's things
Beauty pageants for kids

While I generally don't like pageants in general, as I feel that people's physical beauty shouldn't be an industry, it's more of an issue to me when it involves kids. Their self-image is very vulnerable and can be shaped to be either quite prideful or self-hating based on these events.

I firmly agree with this. France was apparently the first Western country to ban child beauty pageants in 2013. It's a pity other countries didn't follow their example.

Stop forcing labels on others. It's unfair and makes people feel bad about themselves. So just stop.

Speculating over people's sexuality

Admittedly, this does get some backlash, but still, there are people obsessed with the thought that some people (especially celebrities) are hiding their sexuality and sometimes relationships.

You realize that even if it's true, it's not any of your business, right?

I hate when people do that. Also, you have the right to experiment and be undecided about your sexuality before knowing to whom you're really attracted.

Working on off-days

Has anyone else received a call, text, or email from their employer asking them to come in? Or asking for something at 9:00 PM that can wait until tomorrow? Yes, sometimes things come up and it's an urgent matter. But nine times out of ten, I'm not checking my email outside of office hours because I'm paid to work during my scheduled hours. I'm not paid to check my emails every single second of the day.

Honestly, I consider responding to work emails as part of working. If I'm not scheduled to be at work, I'm not doing anything work-related until I'm back at work. You only get so much time off, and I'm not wasting any of it. If anyone asks, it's none of their business why I'm not responding. If the manager needs me to come in but I'm not scheduled, they need to find somebody to cover for me. That's not my problem. They didn't do their job correctly.

The company needs to respect that employees need days off. No company should mandate you into saying yes in that situation.

Saying someone needs to get laid

You can't pressure someone, whether a friend or a relative, into getting laid or even losing their virginity when it comes to teens and college students. It's their bodies. It's their choice if they want to get laid. Period. End of discussion.

I'd much rather be a virgin for life than risk being forced to pay child support for life to someone who won't use it to help the child.

Telling someone else to get laid doesn't affect whether the person saying it does or not. Nobody cares.

Drinking alcohol

More like "getting drunk." I think society needs to stop glorifying this because it can have huge consequences on your body and mental health.

This is literally a drug. Getting drunk should NOT be glorified. It has lots of negative effects and can hurt other people around you.

More like getting drunk. You might as well say drinking alcohol before driving.

Wearing too much perfume or cologne

We all know people who drench themselves in perfume or cologne just to smell nice. The problem is that the scent becomes so strong that the person reeks of it. It's so overpowering that everyone else around them can't handle it. If you can taste the scent of the product, then the person is wearing way too much.

A little goes a long way. No more than two sprays are all you need. The product isn't designed for massive sprays at once. Wearing too much is honestly just as bad, if not worse, than body odor.

I hate it when I'm on public transport and there's an overwhelming smell of cologne from the person next to me.

Using "gay" to mean stupid

The literal definition of "gay" is someone attracted to other people of their same gender, usually male. Since when did it mean "stupid"? Did some popular celebrity use it to mean "stupid," and by sheer luck, everyone started using it to mean "stupid" instead of getting canceled?

There are other words to use as a synonym for "stupid." I've never understood why the word "gay" is used. It doesn't even make sense, as it means something totally different.

Swearing in front of children

Swearing needs to stop. I know they are just words, but they can be very damaging. When I was a kid, I was exposed to a lot of swearing. I used to get upset when I heard swear words, and it made life harder for me. I'm still bothered by it.

People are swearing a lot more these days than ever before. Even kids are swearing now, and it's getting out of control.

At a playground, I saw a young man swearing even though there were many children present.

This is why more and more children are using adult language.

Asking a girl why she is so skinny

Simply put, body shaming needs to stop because you never know what someone may be going through. For example, I knew a kid who had cancer (he died of it, RIP) and gained a lot of weight because of the medication he had to take. This made him look very chubby, whereas he was usually thin.

It's too easy to judge when you don't know, so please be compassionate and respectful towards people regardless of their appearance.

It's just like asking anyone why they are fat. People have different body types and morphologies, so stop asking such questions already.

Killing people's fun with facts

The point of a joke is not taking it seriously.

I'm playing Monopoly. I don't care if the Twin Towers don't exist anymore.

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