to think that people are getting nastier?

[ThisIsNotMyLife]

So many people these days seem to have a problem with some 'other' section of society. I've seen this in the news and in real life.

Immigrants, people on benefits, fat people, smokers, graduates, people who left school early, women who stay at home with the kids, women who don't stay at home with the kids, the rich, the poor....

It really does seem to be getting worse. Is it just me?

You are right. It makes me depressed.

It's always been the same as far as I remember?

Mind you, I think things like recession and job losses do tend to bring out the worst in some people...and make them more vocal about their hatred/jealousy of others.

I think if you only read MN AIBU you might be led into thinking everyone has those views, when in reality imo it's not the case, so YABU.

Agree with Worra - bad times make people more irritable and prone to releasing their resentment etc. of others. In good times, people are generally far more laid back about stuff.

I think this started with the Thatcherite "I've upped my income, up yours" mentality. Everyone seems to have that dog eat dog attitude and if you are compassionate and caring, you're considerered to be a bit sad and certainly naive. You see it a lot on here. I don't think the recession and the high unemployment rates help. A lot of people are being shafted and let down and they automatically seek to blame someone.

I remember things being better prior to the recession, that is true.

More people are at risk of being made redundant or homeless, so their knee-jerk response is to hate the group they're at risk of joining. Anything to prove that they aren't part of that group. It's bloody depressing.

Blaming the 'other' (immigrants, people on benefits) is also an easy cop out.

I'm glad I'm not just imagining this.

I think there is a lot of blaming and us and them attitudes.

TBF I blame the unions a bit. I respect and I am grateful for the work of the public sector but all the mud slinging about the big bad private sector has normalised the slagging off of large groups of people using very narrow logic.

Agree with worra re other things going on making it more explicit and obvious . Am sure that there have been studies linking surges in intolerance with economic cycle.

I honestly doubt things are any different to how they've always been - there are just more avenues for people to vent - Facebook, Twitter, sites like this, so those views SEEM more common

Also I think the resentment and nastiness has always been there in the past, but now we have the internet and social networking sites...so instead of people 'mouthing off' to friends and family, they now have a public platform.

This probably gives a false impression that people are getting nastier, when in fact they're just more public about their feelings.

I didn't think feelings were so vehement until i started posting on mn, it's opened my eyes to views of a certain sector of our society. and it's ain't pretty!

just glad i am confident in my real life, or i would become neurotic

Snap, Nancy

I agree with tardis.

It's definitely pre-Thatcher: look at some of the "great" sitcoms of the 1970s - if you can, that is, as the views were considerably more outspoken, to the point of being unbroadcastable today.

I don't think there ever was a golden age of a compassionate society, or one where "otherness" was not a problem (try reading Shakespeare for general human condition, or particularly Dickens for the same in an industrial society).

I think what OP may be saying is that newer media continues to show such long-lasting problems in ways that seem more immediate than before.

Well worded, Meditrina

Yes, I hate nasty people, vile, horrible creatures they are, they should be sent back to NastyLand

I only like nice people like me

I agree that the internet has made a difference.

But I've also started seeing in it real life. I've heard rants about fat people, immigrants, students and god knows what else several times over the last few months. This was all from real people who I previously thought were pretty respectable. I can't remember hearing much like that in previous years.

We've had EDL marches where we live too - racisim on that scale has been unheard of round here for as long as anybody can remember.

Well said meditrina

Certain meeja outlets fuel the hate as well though - there is a definite feeling of "whipping up" the populace into feeling hate/resentment/intolerance for other groups of people; again, not a new thing, but worse when the general economic situation is shit tight.

divide and rule. Always been the same.

Get and keep the masses mad at each other and blaming one another for the state of their town/country/the world and that way they won't get together and take a look at where the real villains are. And do something about it...

I cant say I've experienced it IRL. but then I do work from home, shop on-line, host most of the gangs social events chez 'Pru.... Don't experience much bigotry in the woods on the dog walk ....

Maybe I ought to get out more

It has always been the case that when times are hard people become more right wing and insular, finding other groups to blame - look at the rise of Hitler as a prime example.

It seems more prevalent now because we are bombarded with everyone's views on this (and every other subject under the sun) because of the easy accessibility of information via the internet.

The most recent social attitudes survey did seem to show a hardening of attitudes towards anyone who is vulnerable. The researchers suggested that people in a recession take a dog eat dog attitude - as if compassion somehow takes something from them.

I think the change of government has given people who enjoy blaming the victims licence to speak out. Now those in charge are demonising people on benefits/the disabled/teenagers/the elderly (choose your group) people feel much more able to spout bile. And are encouraged by news stories planted by the government about allegedly poor parenting or 'benefits cheats' or so on.

It's stupid because most of us are only a few pay packets away from disaster - it really could be you, especially with more than 2m unemployed. Any of us could be in a horrendous accident tomorrow and end up with a long-term disability.

There but for the grace of God go I, etc.

Bloody hell Edam - conspiracy theory much? I've obviously missed all of the demonisation of all of these groups (not to mention the 'planted' news stories) - I've just heard the govt saying that those who can work should work.

No, I think people are more tolerant. Think back a hundred years and we have people being sent to Australia for stealing a couple of potatoes. Recessions always bring out the worst in people because we are all scared about the future. It makes one more snappy and judgemental. I don't think it changes the innate fairness and decency of people though.