Everyones an arsehole

Is it just me or are there more and more arseholes in the world today?

People just walking down the middle of the road. Happens all the time round me. What’s wrong with the pavement?

Oh yeah, that's full of cyclists. On pavements. Going through red lights. Turning without signalling. Going the wrong way down one way streets.

Taking other people’s possessions. Whether this is shoplifting, using company funds for personal use, or public funds for trips to Ibiza, or giving Taylor Swift a police escort, or just eating your peanut butter from the cupboard. Criminal offences, one and all.

Nobody says thank you anymore.

Nobody holds doors open anymore.

Nobody makes eye contact anymore.

Politeness is dying.

And I blame the parents. Yes. You and I.

We have well and truly fucked up our kids.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

We've made our children special, entitled, lazy. And just horrible, horrible people.

We’ve spoiled them, and now we’re reaping what we’ve sown: a society that’s forgotten basic decency.

What’s done is done. We can't (yet) go back in time.

What Went Wrong?

We all want the best for our kids, right? But somewhere along the way, “the best” became confused with shielding them from every failure and disappointment.

We told them they were special, which is fine - they are (especially mine). But we went too far.

Everyone got a participation trophy. A try-hard medal.

Criticism? No thanks.

Consequences? That's for someone else to deal with.

Now, I’m not saying our kids are monsters—at least not all of them—but there’s a growing disconnect between how they behave and the kind of respectful, courteous humans we'd hoped to raise.

Here’s where it gets worse.

It’s not just about “thank you” or holding doors. It’s about basic human connection. We’re all walking around, heads buried in phones, headphones blocking out the world. No eye contact. No acknowledgment that anyone else exists.

And it’s all our fault.

We Tried Too Hard to Be ‘Cool’

How many times did we let something slide because we didn’t want to seem “strict” or “old-fashioned”?

We’ve been so caught up in being their friends, we forgot that our job was to raise decent people. Did we make it too easy for them? You bet.

We've taught them that the world should adapt to their needs rather than the other way around.

And now, they expect the world to treat them with the same kid-glove approach. But that’s not how life works. And sooner or later, they’re going to figure that out—probably the hard way.

The Entitlement Epidemic

It’s no surprise that we’ve ended up with a generation that feels entitled. We’ve taught them to expect success without effort.

We’ve normalised behaviour that once would’ve been seen as rude. How often have we excused their bad behaviour with phrases like “kids will be kids” or “they’re just expressing themselves”?

The result? A sense of entitlement that’s bleeding into every corner of their lives—relationships, jobs, even the way they interact with strangers.

Can We Undo the Damage?

Here’s the good news: it’s not too late. We have to start making changes now, if we don’t want politeness to become extinct altogether.

So, where do we begin?

• Bring Back Manners

Let’s get back to basics. Teach them to say “please” and “thank you.” I’m talking about good old-fashioned manners here. And it starts with us. We need to model the behaviour we want to see in them. Hold the door for someone. Say thank you to the cashier. Make eye contact. Small gestures go a long way, and if they see us doing it, they might just follow suit.

• Enforce Consequences

This one’s tough, but necessary. If they behave rudely, don’t let it slide. Consequences are critical. They need to understand that their actions have weight.

Not everything can be “fixed” with an apology text or a like on social media. Sometimes, their behaviour will hurt, and they need to know that. It’s uncomfortable, but discomfort breeds growth.

• Empathy

This might be the most important piece of the puzzle. We’ve raised them to think the world revolves around them, but we can still teach them to see beyond themselves. Encourage empathy.

Show them what it means to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. When they can grasp that their actions affect others, politeness becomes more than just a formality—it becomes natural.

• Limit the Tech

Yeah, I know. It’s the age of screens, and getting them to unplug is like pulling teeth.

But this endless immersion in technology is eroding their ability to interact with the real world. How are they supposed to learn how to be polite, thoughtful people if they never even look up?

Set some boundaries. Insist on device-free family time. Encourage face-to-face conversations. It sounds old school, but maybe that’s exactly what we need right now.

• Remind Them That Life’s Not Always About Them

This one’s a hard pill to swallow—for all of us. But it’s true. We’ve created a “me-first” culture, and it’s time to flip that script.

Teach them that they’re not always going to be the star of the show. It’s a tough lesson, but a crucial one.

Whether it’s learning to wait their turn, or realising that sometimes, their needs take a backseat to others, they need to understand that the world doesn’t revolve around them.

• Bring Back the Dinner Table Conversation

When was the last time we all sat down as a family and actually talked? No distractions, no phones. Just conversation.

This is where we can model polite behaviour, show them how to engage, listen, and respond. It’s simple, but incredibly effective. And it’s a practice we’ve all let slide.

It’s Up to Us

Here’s the thing—none of this is going to happen overnight. But if we don’t start making these changes now, we’re going to keep heading down this path, and frankly, it’s a dead end.

The world is a tough place, and our kids aren’t equipped for it. They need manners, empathy, and a sense of responsibility. And that’s on us to teach them.

We’ve messed up, sure. But we can fix it. We just have to be willing to do the work.

So let’s bring basic decency back.

Who’s with me?

Jon "Please sir, thank you sir" Kaye

P.S. It's difficult to get much traction making music these days. Over 50,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify every day. Last week, I happened to be one of those 50,000 uploads and I'd be truly grateful if you could check out my new song, add it to your favourite playlist and give it a listen.