In a discussion thread on Twitter, a user asked about the social customs we have that we need to retire. One user answered, saying, "Teachers being given the authority to not allow restroom breaks during their class time." Others sounded off in agreement, citing anything from IBS to "that time of the month" as perfectly acceptable reasons to have unbarred access to the lavatory.
If school is about preparing students for "the real world," then they should be allowed to go to the restroom whenever nature calls, not when the bell rings. For the most part, no ethical workplace bars employees from using the bathroom at any time. Sure, it's recommended not to interrupt lectures or meetings for some bathroom time, but not everyone has the luxury of controlling what their bowels are up to.
Another odd social custom that we rarely think twice about is shaking hands with people, usually when we meet them for the first time! It gets weirder the more you think about it. Twitter user @patchouligay had the same idea, writing, "shaking hands when meeting people [is] nasty and I hate that it often turns into a weird power move with men."
The fact that there's a weird dominance war between men whenever they shake hands is beyond us. If your pressure is too light, say goodbye to your dream job. Because hand strength directly translates into efficiency in the workplace. Major eye roll. Plus, touching someone who probably has not washed their hands for the recommended 20 seconds is basically a hospital sentence nowadays. We should smile and be done with it!
@mediocremami wrote that it's super weird that Americans are expected to be completely independent once they reach a certain age. They said, "[It's weird] that once you turn 18, your parents no longer should support you in any aspect. it’s weird to me because they basically count down the days to not be a parent anymore. like why did you have a kid in the first place?"
For some reason, 18 is the age where kids are legally allowed to do everything they want to do (except drink), which includes obtaining an absence amount of student debt, living in apartments they can't afford, and crying over health insurance. As a society, we need to remember that 18-year-olds are just teenagers. And despite claiming that they know what's going on, they have absolutely no idea.
Marriage and kids are both worthy goals, but they're not for everyone. Believe it or not, some people, like @dontknoher on Twitter, still get questioned daily about when they'll start a family. "Thinking that it is your obligation in life to get married and not viewing it as just something you could choose to do," is a social custom they want to retire entirely.
They go on to say that this expectation to get married as soon as possible typically translates to "settling for any 'ole body you're not completely happy with." And it's the same with children. There's nothing wrong with "single and childless women," they write. We agree wholeheartedly! Kids are no walk in the park, and just because celebrities have the money to pop them out every year doesn't mean fresh-faced newlyweds can, too.
"The customer is always right." Everyone has heard this phrase, especially if you've ever worked in retail or customer service. Unfortunately, what once was merely a mechanism to ensure that employees respect customer requests has transformed into a wild rampaging beast with an asymmetrical bob roaring, "Let me speak to your manager!"
One Twitter user obviously had some personal experience with the phrase, ranting, "The customer is rarely right. How we engage them matters in retaining them, not letting them get away with nonsense out of fear of losing their business." They really hit the nail on the head, because "being nice to mean customers" was never the goal, merely providing a comfortable, judgment-free shopping experience.
At the top of the list of social customs that need to stop ASAP are the female-restricted titles of "Miss, Ms., and Mrs." One Twitter user argues, "The term [Mrs.] is useless. We don’t have separate terms for Young Master and Mister anymore. Miss and Mrs. persist because????? I reject."
Of course, these distinctions can be merely chalked up to rigid traditionalism, but broader implications include sexism, misogyny, and the patriarchy. While these titles may sound harmless, they require women to surrender and identify their marital status in any given conversation. Yet men? It's all "Mr." for them. Why not stick to "Ms." and be done with it?
We know what you're thinking: it's common sense that you shouldn't touch someone without their consent, whether you know them or not. But you may be surprised at how common it is for pregnant women and women of color to be touched without permission by random people in the Walmart Returns & Exchanges line.
"Touching pregnant women’s stomachs without consent" is, as one Reddit user puts it, a far outdated social custom that has no place in the twenty-first century. Where did this tradition originate, anyway? Sure, pregnancy is a joyous occasion and a mother rubbing her stomach is a sign of comfort and love, but Joe Shmoe doesn't need any piece of that action. Also, women of color constantly have their hair touched without their permission. Talk about invading someone's personal space!
More than one Reddit user put in their two cents about rest. "Rest being seen as lazy" is a huge problem in nations like America who equate "time" with "money" and value productivity over leisure. "If I take a day off of work simply to sleep in and rest at home instead of having to have some sort of big plans or destination it shouldn’t be seen as anything less."
Along those same lines, companies shouldn't "glorify" employees for "showing up to work even while sick." There are sick days for a reason. And, particularly in this day and age, merely sneezing outside of the comfort of your home is practically a death sentence. Plus, if anyone expects "cashiers and other jobs not being allowed to sit down because it makes them “look lazy," that's the epitome of hypocrisy. Wonder what their managers and CEOs are doing... sitting at a desk! Maybe they should be forced to stand the entire day, too!
"Worshipping celebrities" is another social custom that nations across the world continue to uphold. This Reddit user put it simply: "I don’t get it and it seems to just create tons of problems." Every society will have people elevated above others for one reason or another, but that doesn't mean this person is wrong.
Status isn't the problem, necessarily, it's how we as a society treat people who hold that status. If they're treated normally, then there wouldn't be nearly as many issues stemming from inequality and marginalization. Most of the time, however, celebrities are treated like gods. Why? Because they sang a song they didn't even write? Normal people do that every day, celebrities just had the resources to make it big.
Social media connects the modern world in ways that no other historical society could even fathom. Now, we have information at the tip of our fingers and can connect with friends across the world. But what about those people who refuse to engage in the social media sphere at all? Typically, they're dubbed as "different" or "isolationist in some way," as one Reddit user puts it.
They disagree with this sentiment, claiming that not having accounts with Facebook or Instagram doesn't make you a respectable hipster who's better than all the sheeple with accounts. Instead, it shouldn't be regarded as anything else other than a personal decision. Same for people who spend half of their day on social media. It's not exactly the recommended way to live but it's their life!
"Discussing salary shouldn’t be taboo." We couldn't have said it better ourselves. Salary is a major aspect of any job but, for some reason or another, our society has decided that it's totally inappropriate to discuss money with others, particularly coworkers. Why? We think that it's a control tactic.
When employees are discouraged from discussing salary with coworkers or peers in the industry, they're far more likely to accept pay lower than the average rate. It's not like employees want to demand outrageous amounts as it is; they want to be paid adequately for the work they've performed. Thus, discussing salary with coworkers is a surefire way to verify that you're not ignorant of the industry and taken advantage of.
One of the more controversial social customs that people are growing tired of is the five-day work week. Wait, what? A lot of us might be shocked by that this custom is being actively challenged by modern workers, but companies worldwide are already experimenting with this new form of work as it is.
The 2020 pandemic forced most non-essential companies to work remotely. Now that the virus is calming down, workers are making a mass exodus from the workplace because they refuse to return to laborious commuting and in-person work. With the rise of hybrid workplaces and telecommuting, companies are quickly realizing that workers are just as productive even if they're out of the office or have theoretically "less" time to perform their job. Crazy what happens when employees have time to enjoy their lives!
The social custom that people can be "too old for" certain things is manifested in different ways. For one, you can be considered " too old for college/university, to change careers, to learn a new skill or to enjoy something new," as one Reddit user explored. "It's YOUR life!" We agree! And there's never a "right" time to take control of your life and do what you want!
And this shouldn't have to be said, but there's not an age limit for enjoyment. What we mean is this: "that somehow the concept of maturing means you have to give up hobbies that are seen as 'childish'." This Reddit user was obviously made fun of for their obsession with cartoons and are still bitter about it. No shame! "Guilty pleasures" are simply things that people enjoy but have to feel ashamed about enjoying. That should not be real!
Another far, far outdated social custom is the sexist concept that boys don't -- or shouldn't -- cry. Not only is this extremely dangerous for a child's development and mental health, but it reinforces damaging gender stereotypes that do nothing except maintain a toxic status quo for masculinity.
Similarly, one Reddit user furthered broadened the sphere of customs related to masculinity that they'd love to change, including On a side note "males being allowed to hug each other without it being considered gay" and "being allowed to talk about things without that being looked down on as weak for showing emotion."
Proper discipline is part of raising a child to be fully-formed, responsible people later in life. But forcing children to obey your every demand and be at your family's beck-and-call is not necessary. For example, "making children hug adults.. family or friends" or forcing them to "talk to people on the phone" is a cruel and unusual way of forcing your child to show love.
If we know anything as a society, it's that love cannot be forced, and if it is, it's usually fake and damaging in the long run. Along those same lines, another Reddit user cited that "forcing kids to go to church when they don’t want to" is another social custom that is (usually) counterproductive.
