When social norms are not normal to you

Change is uncomfortable, especially when it comes to culture. The latest episode of the 2 Per-Specht-ives Podcast has Hosts David and Joshua Specht talking about the changing of cultural norms.

Your generational lesson: What’s socially acceptable depends on culture, stages of lie, social circles, and media. All of these things impact what “normal” is.

Your Gen. X Advice: Honor the place you’re in. For example: If you’re a drinker and you're in an environment that looks down on alcohol, it’s best to not push back against those people who don’t drink. 

Your Gen. Z Advice: It’s about respect. Recognize what’s socially acceptable for one group/generation, and even if you don’t agree with that, be agreeable so long as it’s not affecting each other.

Back in the day, you would meet someone, decide if you like them, get married and have a kid together. Nowadays, you meet someone, have a kid, then decide if you like them.

Another change is that smoking and having a drink at work used to be completely acceptable. Now, smoking is banned in almost all buildings and bars are only allowed in restaurants.

So, how does the culture change? How do norms shift?

The information age has changed rules and how kids make decisions. A parent telling their child, “Because I say so”, isn’t enough for that kid to base a decision on anymore. That’s because they already have so much access to a wealth of information.

This change has forced generations to try and meet in the middle. Parents need to try and see their kids’ perspective, and vice versa.

Other factors to consider include culture — What’s socially acceptable depends on where you are in your life and what your circle is. Pop culture also impacts our values and how we define normal.