Ever feel like you’re constantly dodging eye rolls and loud music from the younger generation? You’re not alone. A survey conducted in 2024 by Solitaired aimed to uncover the cities with the rudest kids in America, and the results offer an interesting glimpse into children’s behavior across the country.

According to the survey, which assigns a “rudeness score” from 0 to 100 to each city, Memphis, TN, claims the honor of having the rudest kids with a score of 99.6. Philadelphia, the 2023 champion, comes in at a close second with a score of 97.2, followed by Baltimore, MD. Interestingly, Detroit seems to be the only city where kids’ manners haven’t noticeably declined, maintaining its 10th-place ranking from the previous year.

A 2024 survey reveals Memphis has the rudest kids in America, and Philadelphia and Baltimore follow close behind

Image credits: Solitaired

Phone zombies, cursing, and blaring beats top the charts as the most obnoxious behaviors reported

Image credits: Solitaired

The survey dives deeper into the specific behaviors Americans consider rude in children. At the top of the list are kids who are glued to their screens, seemingly oblivious to the world around them. This behavior, often referred to as “Phone zombies,” was most commonly reported by residents of Atlanta and Fort Worth, and it is considered by them to be the most obnoxious trait in kids ages 9-17.

Next up is the frequent use of swear words. Memphis residents reported the most encounters with foul-mouthed youngsters, highlighting the issue of children using inappropriate language in public.

Finally, there’s the problem of loud music or videos being played in public. Many cities have children who are guilty of this, but according to the survey, no place seems to have it worse than the national average.

Other reported behaviors include disorderly conduct and a general lack of manners, such as avoiding eye contact and ignoring people.

Some Americans believe parents feel the greatest impact of increased rudeness, while others argue it is strangers who suffer the most

The survey also asked Americans who they think bears the brunt of kids’ bad behavior. The majority (44.5%) believe it’s parents who face the most disrespect. However, a significant portion (28.4%) say it’s actually strangers who get the worst of it, while another 27.2% believe kids direct their rudeness toward their peers.

When asked what is to blame for the increase in annoying behavior, respondents pointed squarely at social media

Image credits: Solitaired

The 2023 edition of the survey successfully highlighted which behaviors and cities ranked as the rudest, but it did not delve into the causes behind the phenomenon. This year, the researchers included nine possible reasons and tasked the respondents with ordering them from most to least egregious.

As mentioned, kids and teens being glued to their phones was reported more than any other behavior. A whopping 74% of Americans believe social media platforms contribute to children’s rude behavior, placing this reason at the top of the list.

Following closely behind is the belief that kids simply lack respect for others, with 65.8% of respondents citing this as a primary cause. In third place, Americans point the finger at bad personal role models, like parents, siblings, and friends, noted by a significant 63.5%.

Rounding out the top five reasons are kids being spoiled, which ranks fourth, and bad influences from celebrities and social media influencers, in fifth place. Interestingly, the survey also found that 42% of Americans believe poor mental health can contribute to misbehavior, while nearly 40% blame gentle parenting styles.

Turns out, according to experts, kids and teens are not glued to their phones due to rudeness but because they are addicted and simply unable to put them down

Social media addiction can contribute to rude behavior in a surprising way. Platforms that are used daily exploit people’s brains’ reward system, specifically the dopamine pathways, to keep them engaged for as long as possible. This, according to a 2018 study by Trevor Haynes, a research technician at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Neurobiology, disrupts social interactions and contributes to negative behaviors.

Haynes explains that social media notifications act like a lever pull on a slot machine. We never know exactly what kind of social reward – a like, a comment, a message – might be waiting for us. This uncertainty triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, keeping us checking our phones relentlessly.

This constant loop to seek social validation online can negatively impact our face-to-face interactions. When we become accustomed to immediate feedback and dopamine hits from the digital world, we might become impatient or dismissive during real-life conversations that don’t provide the same instant gratification. This can manifest as rude behavior, interrupting others, or shortening in-person interactions to get back to our phones and the promise of another dopamine rush.

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that rates media suitability for children, has conducted numerous surveys and studies on the matter. In 2016, one of its surveys showed that half of teenagers reported feeling addicted to their phones. In 2021, another one showed an increase of 17% in screen use among them, and in 2023, another published study found that teens checked their devices more than a hundred times per day.

The issue became part of a lawsuit against tech giant Meta, filed by attorney generals of 33 states in October of last year, who alleged that the company purposely designed its products to exploit the youth’s psychology, citing internal company presentations to highlight “emotion, the intrigue of novelty, and reward.”

With rudeness on the rise and social media increasing its presence in daily life, the main course of action might be early prevention

The surveys reveal a noticeable uptick in rudeness over the years, with respondents often pointing fingers at social media and phone use. Experts highlight how addictive social media can be and the perpetual quest for validation as major culprits.

Tackling this challenge calls for a multifaceted approach: raising awareness about social media’s sway, possibly tweaking addictive features, and promoting healthier ways to connect. Acting sooner rather than later could pave the way for managing and curbing the not-so-polite behaviors linked to social media addiction in kids and teens.