25 Things That Became Socially Acceptable Since 2016

Key Points:

• Over the past decade, location sharing and constant online documentation of personal lives, especially children's, have become normalized, raising concerns about privacy and boundaries.
• The rise of smartphones and social media has led to widespread changes in social etiquette, including people frequently being on their phones during conversations and superficial online friendships replacing deeper interactions.
• There is growing frustration over the decline in attention spans, anti-intellectualism, and the normalization of academic cheating facilitated by easy access to answers online.
• Mental health discussions have influenced social behaviors, such as last-minute cancellations being framed as "protecting your peace," and many turning to AI for therapy due to inaccessible mental health resources.
• Political norms shifted dramatically with the election of a president lacking prior political experience, reflecting broader societal changes in trust, information consumption, and critical thinking, which have been impacted by rapid digital media and algorithm-driven content.