(Bloomberg Opinion) -- My initial shock this week when actor Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars, before launching a volley of expletives over a poor-taste joke, was quickly replaced by weary recognition. I don't know Smith or his motives, but such unruly behavior has become alarmingly common since the pandemic.
People have become angrier and more reckless. Tempers are fraying and empathy has given way to irritability and intolerance. We've forgotten how to be civil to one another. It's time we relearned how to behave.
I'm not blameless either. My normally enjoyable bike commute became a chore last year when I found myself getting unusually worked up at the sundry traffic infractions of fellow road-users.
Data confirm we've become more indignant: In the U.S., workers who interact with the public such as flight attendants and healthcare staff are regularly subjected to abuse. Traffic fatalities are soaring. Murders, hate crimes and domestic abuse have all increased. New York City is having a particularly tough time.
Although the U.S. is an outlier compared with Europe in terms of road deaths, violent and antisocial behavior isn't a uniquely American problem. In England and Wales, sexual offenses rose 12% in the year ending September 2021 and public order offenses (where offenders cause public fear, alarm or distress) are also on the rise. Meanwhile, English soccer has recorded an almost 50% jump in arrests compared to the start of the season preceding the pandemic, attributed in part to an increase in drug-taking by spectators. Welsh rugby has resorted to serving weaker beer at international games to curb fan unruliness.
Occasionally, fury has morphed into collective transgression. The ransacking of the U.S. Capitol is an extreme example. But also consider the ticketless hoards who forced their way into Wembley stadium during last year's European soccer final. A report by a member of the House of Lords on that event, which coincided with the easing of lockdown restrictions in England, urged a “national conversation about greater civility and responsibility.”
Such selfish behavior is all the more appalling when contrasted with the courage of those now fighting for their freedom in Ukraine and the compassion of those aiding refugees.
But it's not as contradictory as it sounds. While war brings immense suffering and loss, there's also a sense of shared sacrifice and connection among those who must endure it — a theme explored in Sebastian Junger's book Tribe. In short: Social ties encourage pro-social behavior.
Although we began the pandemic clapping for healthcare workers, there was actually little of this Blitz spirit: We were bereft of human contact, overwhelmed with home-working and parenting, and drained from heightened anxiety. Germans adopted a new word — mütend — to describe this malaise (an amalgamation of tired and angry).
Of course, all this bad behavior can't be blamed solely on Covid. Even before the pandemic, political discourse was coarsening and trust in institutions was eroding. Donald Trump spent his presidency inciting division and behaving like a spoiled child. Cancel culture and conspiracy theories have made people defensive and mistrustful. Money, not morality, long ago became society's North Star, making social obligations feel more transactional. Racial injustice remains an open wound.
Still, lockdowns and mask mandates further inflamed the culture wars, and it was hard to overlook the unfairness of officials such as those in Downing Streets flouting their own rules. Social interaction mostly shifted online, where discourse is inherently more polarized and confrontational.
As pandemic restrictions have wound down, these private frustrations are spilling into the open. Lauded earlier during Covid for keeping shelves filled, retail workers are now subjected to customer tirades when their needs aren't swiftly met. “You're looking at someone and thinking, ‘I don't think this is about the cheese,'” one grocery employee memorably told the New York Times.
I hope this phase proves short-lived and that as life returns to “normal,” we'll relearn to treat each other with respect. It's encouraging to see the rate of unruly behavior on airplanes receding as more flying resumes. Perhaps some good will come of these fraught months, since we're now more aware of each other's struggles and fragile mental health.
This acting-out is a strong argument for swift and comprehensive resocialization — i.e., going back to the office and keeping classrooms open even if the pandemic resurfaces. Where it's safe to abandon masks, we should, so we can see people's faces again.
Programs pairing mental health professionals with emergency-response police can also help defuse fraught situations. But we shouldn't tolerate violence or abuse. Public education campaigns can be effective, though it shouldn't require children to teach adults how to behave.
It may sound old-fashioned, but those in the public eye also need to set a better example. When Will Smith was done attacking Chris Rock and selfishly distracting from his peers' achievements, he returned to the stage to receive his Oscar and got a standing ovation. The message that sent about how we treat others was jarring.
More From Bloomberg Opinion:
- Homicide Is Pandemic's Biggest Killer of Young Black Men: Justin Fox
- What Does Covid Do to the Brain and Mind?: Therese Raphael
- Do We Owe Gen Z for Their Covid Misery?: Chris Bryant
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.
Chris Bryant is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering industrial companies. He previously worked for the Financial Times.
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