Antisocial, societal issues thread

[Bada-Bing!]

As requested, a separate thread for social issues to discuss which don't belong in the political thread.

Violent assaults against rail staff on increase since pandemic

Rail workers say they are spat at, punched and sworn at as figures suggest abuse has increased.

www.bbc.co.uk

This one I saw on news this morning on public transport workers getting attacked on trains.

And this one:

Road closures: Workers facing knives, machetes and guns

Highway workers are having to "dive for cover" after being threatened by drivers over lane closures.

www.bbc.co.uk

Where is all this anger coming from? Is it just a minority who are just assholes?

 

[Which Tyler]

Sorry, I'll bring mine across here:

There's definitely an epidemic of self-entitlement, throughout society for the last... 10-15 years or so, I'd guess (probably longer, but really dialled up to 11 with things like Brexit, BoJo and Trump - and AntiFa, BLM and Extinction Rebellion).
Society seems to have lose the ability to agree-to-disagree, which I see as part of the same thing.

I blame the combination of social media and smartphones*.
The ability to broadcast our opinions 24 hours a day, see curated responses which maximise the dopamine hit, actively encourage confrontation and providing encouragement and support for every little 0.1% opinion that would never have been dared to be aired in a public setting.


* Initially that was intended as more of a joke with a grain of truth - but the more I think on it, the more genuine it seems.

 

[Welsh Exile]

What he said.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Police often don't want to get involved either. I got spat at by the builder next door because I was waiting for him to move a trailer he was struggling to get off the property he is rebuilding and took it out on me. Got verbally threatened by one of his lackies to move and generally sworn at.

Reported to police the next day and he was useless and just delayed taking any action until was out of time.

But agreed on the entitlement.

 

[Saintjay]

The media and language by people does not help. Instead of unbiased media and reporting. People swing to the media that supports and upholds there beliefs/opinion. Fox news vs CNN, The Guardian vs The Mail.

Agreed that language is important. Years ago you couldn't call someone a scumbag woke snowflake nazi gammon terf. Now you can across multiple platforms and have no problem at all. When all people are really doing is entreching the views and opions of the other side. Civil discussion is becoming the exception rather than the norm.

I could rant about policing and society, and the expectations put on the Police but I'll save that for a rainy day.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

5 Minutes On - Challenging Pupil Behaviour - BBC Sounds

"A never-ending battle" for many schools. But one head teacher thinks she's cracked it.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[ncurd]

Honestly, I think a lot of this talk is the "it were better in my day", when really it wasn't.
You mean the 70's, 80's with rampant homophobia, mysoginy & racism?
Myself in 90's and my father in 60/70's weren't extensively bullied? and the schools/parents didn't do **** all about it?

Its always been here if not worse your just way more aware about it.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Definitely agree on that. I remember speaking to a secretary at my old place of work and she was how wonderful the 1970s were when she was growing up. She was saying there wasn't as much bad news and people were happier.

And I was thinking what when IRA bombing was prevalent (Guildford 4 getting stitched up by the old bill) Gary Glitter and Jimmy Saville were around. She was looking back on that time with rose tinted glasses. As well as we now have 24 hours news and internet/social media etc.

 

[General Melchett]

I think some things are much better now while social media as a vehicle has made other things worse. Pre social media, most hate crimes were verbal/physical whereas now people can easily transmit hate digitally which can have a wider reach.

Would a Northern Ireland peace deal have been agreed in current times? I'm not so sure. We see very few examples of leaders and people in positions of power putting differences aside, negotiating with a view to finding a common ground for the greater good. It's no wonder people are becoming more and more entrenched. It's reaching the point where you're either woke or far right. Political leaders really don't help when their irresponsible messaging validates a lot of the harmful/extremist views within society.

What's the solution? Maybe schools need to start educating kids on how to compromise and be more respectful and accepting of other people's beliefs.

 

[ncurd]

What's the solution? Maybe schools need to start educating kids on how to compromise and be more respectful and accepting of other people's beliefs.

Isn't that the left wing brain washing of kids I keep hearing school's/universities are doing?

 

[General Melchett]

Isn't that the left wing brain washing of kids I keep hearing school's/universities are doing?

Can't use that argument in England. The left wing haven't had a say in education in what feels like an eternity.

 

[die_mole]

The media and language by people does not help. Instead of unbiased media and reporting. People swing to the media that supports and upholds there beliefs/opinion. Fox news vs CNN, The Guardian vs The Mail.

Agreed that language is important. Years ago you couldn't call someone a scumbag woke snowflake nazi gammon terf. Now you can across multiple platforms and have no problem at all. When all people are really doing is entreching the views and opions of the other side. Civil discussion is becoming the exception rather than the norm.

I could rant about policing and society, and the expectations put on the Police but I'll save that for a rainy day.

Started just reading ap news and Reuters. I've gotten so sick of editorials and opinion pieces. Realized I was wasting time reading the opinion of people I agreed with and just getting angrier for no reason.

 

[General Melchett]

Started just reading ap news and Reuters. I've gotten so sick of editorials and opinion pieces. Realized I was wasting time reading the opinion of people I agreed with and just getting angrier for no reason.

Good that you are wise to confirmation bias because many people will only read/watch content that is aligned with their own views.

Another one of my pet hates is people not taking responsibility for their actions and blaming everyone but themselves. The Boris Johnson administration was particularly bad in this regard and set a horrendous example for society in the UK. If you **** up, own it and learn from it.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

I could rant about policing and society, and the expectations put on the Police but I'll save that for a rainy day.

It is raining where I am.

 

[die_mole]

It's a shame cause there are some left leaning news sources that do incredible investigations. But instead of writing what's going on in the world and letting me take it on the chin and move forward there is always a tone of you should feel dread all the time.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

there is always a tone of you should feel dread all the time.

That's why I am not keen on American news channels. They are just editorials. GB news has taken on the mantle here in the UK and I avoid that channel, but it's aimed at the Daily Mail brigade.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

The biggest challenge of our lifetime.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Warning: this thread may contain cans of worms.

So much you could say. Social media's a cesspit but that genie's not going back in the bottle.

For me the big one is the breakdown of respect for authority. Police, politicians (neither have helped themselves at times), teachers etc. Everyone knows their 'rights' but not their responsibilities. When I was growing up, an intervention from coppers or a teacher getting in touch with your parents spelt trouble. No longer.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

For me the big one is the breakdown of respect for authority. Police, politicians (neither have helped themselves at times), teachers etc. Everyone knows their 'rights' but not their responsibilities. When I was growing up, an intervention from coppers or a teacher getting in touch with your parents spelt trouble. No longer.

Do you think a big contributory factor is the breakdown of the family unit?

 

[Yulia]

Everyone knows their 'rights' but not their responsibilities.

I often repeat this phrase!! Absolutely agree with you except this one:

the breakdown of respect for authority

politicians

To respect politicians...I think,I just can't I try not to disrespect/insult them without any reason obviously , but the issue here is that around 99% of politicians give such a reason on a daily basis. And this public is incredibly hypocritical and egoistic, as we often can see.
Regarding the rest, I would also add,as an example: unfortunately some teachers (again,just for example) let pupils treat them in a disrespectful way and it also influences on a general respect towards all the teachers in our society. Other pupils, students look at it and start to think it is a normal behaviour. I saw such examples when I was a pupil/student myself,and I also had a work experience as a teacher in the past and noticed such a behaviour among my colleagues (who let their students to avoid any teacher/student subordination and/or just let them doing everything during the class)