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“Times Have Changed”: 40 Examples Of Things That Were Once Unacceptable But Are Now Accepted As Shared By The Bored Panda Community
Interview
There are many things that were once considered taboo or socially unacceptable, but have since become more accepted by society. As time goes on, people's attitudes and beliefs can change, and what was once considered unacceptable may become widely accepted. This can be seen in a variety of areas, such as relationships, fashion, and even language. While some may view these changes as positive, others may resist them, leading to ongoing debates and discussions about what is and is not socially acceptable.
Ultimately, what is considered acceptable can vary greatly depending on the time and place, and what may be accepted in one society may not be in another. I asked Pandas from our community to share things that weren't socially acceptable until now, and there were a lot of interesting answers to say the least.
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Interracial marriages.
As a child of an interracial marriage, people still give me and my family strange looks. A hospital once locked me and my white mother in a room because they thought I was kidnapped. It is still weirdly taboo unfortunately -mixed 13 year old
Bored Panda reached out to Arizona Professor of Sociology, Dr. Mia Crawford. We asked her to explain to us what are some of the factors that contribute to changes in social norms and attitudes.
"Well, that's a good question," She started. "As you can guess there are a number of factors that can contribute to changes in social norms and attitudes. For example, demographic shifts. So imagine that changes in the composition of a population can lead to changes in attitudes and norms. An example of that would be, that when a population becomes more diverse, attitudes towards minorities or marginalized groups may shift." Dr. Crawford said.
Women being financially independent. Being able to have their own bank account, their own credit cards, and take out their own loans without having to have a man co-sign for them.
When my dad left my mom in the 70s, she could not have her name alone on the house, nor a bank account nor credit cards, without her dad co-signing. Women still have few options for being financially independent by comparison. I can't f*****g believe we're not only still begging and fighting for equal wages, but are being dragged back to the dark ages instead. This is the world Conservatives want, after all.
Being openly gay. It used to be taboo and sometimes downright dangerous to be open about it. Now it’s no big deal and I think that’s awesome.
"Things like economic and technological change can also impact the shift in social norms. For example, advancements in technology may lead to changes in the way people communicate and interact with one another, which in turn can affect social norms.
It's also worth noting that social movements and activism are a big part of this whole thing as well! Social movements, such as the Civil Rights Movement or the LGBTQ rights movement, can also play a significant role in changing social norms and attitudes. These movements bring attention to issues and injustices, and through sustained activism and mobilization of people, bring about changes in the laws and social norms."
Tattoos. My parents cried and said I would never find a job.
I went from an office job where I had to cover all my tattoos and my boss tried to publicly shame me fore getting another one (I say tried because I have no shame) to a blue collar job where the rest of the shop is emotionally invested as I design my sleeve.
Being accepted and treated like a normal person despite having disabilities and disorders.
It wasn't that long ago people with any form of mental, learning, physical and cognitive disabilities or mental disorders were put in mental hospitals and cruel asylums when all they needed was some extra help from an Aide or counseling. People would be mean and call slower kids the 'R-word', bully them and teachers would outcast them to a "special ed" program.
Some kids never even get an assessment or diagnosis because their parents would be more concerned about the social impact, or refused to cater to the thought bad marks were not the fault of their child.
Now, kids who need extra support or be somewhere quiet to do their work go to the resource rooms, which sounds more inclusive.
"Lastly, we cannot exclude psychological and cultural factors: Social norms and attitudes can be influenced by psychological factors like cognitive biases and cultural factors like tradition, religion, and beliefs." Dr. Mia shared.
We also asked Dr. Crawford to explain some of the key factors that influence the acceptance or rejection of something in society. She broke down the complex dynamics behind social norms and attitudes, and provided some insights and examples that shed light on the subject.
"A variety of key elements can play a role in determining the level of acceptance or rejection of something within a society. One must first take a look at social norms and expectations. People tend to conform to the norms and expectations of their social groups. When something is seen as acceptable or normal within a particular group, it is more likely to be accepted by the individuals within that group." Dr. Crawford told Bored Panda.
Cosplay. Especially cosplay for people with disabilities or less-than-ideal bodies. I'm a cosplayer, I'm partially disabled and overweight, and no one bats an eye at the con when I dress up.
Crying for men.
"Another thing that could be counted equally as important is the fact that familiarity breeds acceptance." The sociologist shared. "When people are exposed to something and given the chance to become familiar with it, they are more likely to accept it. Initially, new or unfamiliar things may be met with rejection, but as people become more accustomed to them, their attitudes can shift."
According to an Emily Post Etiquette book published in 1984, it was not socially acceptable to ask a guest NOT to smoke in your home.
You could not ask someone to not smoke, esp if you were a kid. I now have severe asthma thanks to being stuck in closed spaces with smokers for my entire childhood. If you asked to move or roll down a window, you'd get in trouble.
Bi-racial relationships & Bi-racial children
I love seeing bi racial families, it's a big FU to all these racist d@&ks. Plus mixed raced people are really very striking to look at, things like black skin with blue eyes, the model with the darkest skin in the world, there are so many beautiful people out there, see what happens when love has no barriers. Screw the racists, I was raised in a very racist and homophobic home. I was a child I did not understand why we did not like people with different colour skin, I'm now in my 30s and feel so guilty for believing that was the norm until my late teens. I still feel so bad for not being a better person and connecting the dots, like why is this persons skin colour an issue? I have other family huge homophobes, they have no place in my life or my kids.
"Though there are a lot more factors to this, and I only named a few, these are one of the most important ones. These factors play a crucial role in shaping societal acceptance or rejection of something, however, it's important to note that their interplay and importance can change depending on the specific context and society." The sociologist lastly stated.
Maybe someone has already said this, I don't know. Back when I was growing up it was considered bad manners to make an incoming phone call more important than the person that you were talking to, right there, in person. I am still appalled at how many people answer their cell phones even if you're sitting right there in person talking to them. Seems like bad manners to me.
Women exposing their ankles.
Although at my school, my skirt must be no higher than 2 inches above my knee.
Well not entirely acceptable by everyone yet, but it's starting to be: men who aren't cross-dressers or even gay wearing skirts/nail polish/makeup.
And I fully support being you and expressing yourself. I think it's awesome that this is happening and becoming more acceptable to society. An article of clothing or accessory shouldn't be genderized.
K-12 girls being allowed to wear pants to school. I know it's still no tube tops or short shorts, etc., but when I was in school, girls wore dresses and skirts, and if you knelt and the skirt didn't touch the floor, it was deemed to be too short. In high school, there were about 2 designated days per year when we could wear pants.
Pants are so much more practical & safe for females to wear to school.
Protesting whaling.
Females in revealing clothes. I'm grateful that I can wear pants/shorts. I hate dresses.
Actually I don't hate dresses. I just hate that I can't find one that fits my body type and looks cute.
Cannabis use, especially (where it’s legal for recreation,) is much more acceptable than it was years ago.
Discussing private issues.
Depression. Sexual abuse. Queer identities. Harassment. Bad parenting. Not wanting to have kids/marry. We literally could not even breathe hints that some of these things existed for most of our lives.
Being LGBTQ+ and supporting it. Also, someone said being openly gay and I’m not trying to copy them.
A related one would be HIV no longer being a death sentence. In the 80s-90s, when someone said they were positive, you knew you only had a year or two left with them, and it was going to be agony for them. Not anymore.
Having babies out of wedlock.
My now-husband was concerned when our first was born because we weren't married and he thought being a bastard was still a stigma. Not gonna lie, I laughed.
not liking religion. if you didn't like church the church would not like you existing
Even if I was religious l, I wouldn't be able to sit still at a place of worship. I get cold if I sit still for 2-5 minutes or more while awake. I have to use a blanket when I watch TV
1. Looking like you're talking to yourself.
The in past you've been taken away to the crazy hospital. These days you're most likely on your phone so you can feel free to talk to yourself all you want and just blame it on that, lol.
2. Being an actual crazy person.
It used to be if you were crazy they'd give you tin foil to play with and cart you off to a mental hospital because you shouldn't be allowed in regular society. Now you can say things like believing the earth is flat. Or that school shootings where children have died and it can be proven are just 'false flags' and never happened. Or that the government is a conspiracy of snake people from another planet. And instead of a tin foil hat, you get elected to the house of representatives or a radio show making millions of dollars.
Mental hospitals "back in the day" did FAR worse things than give you tinfoil to play with
Black people going to the same school as white people (but I guess that’s racism) but it was still socially unacceptable.
Being friends with an African American person.
Not answering your phone. It used to be expected that if you were home and the phone rang, you picked it up. Then there were answering machines so we could screen. Then voicemail, and now we have a call display so you can just decline. I honestly never expect people to pick up if I call. Text is way easier anyway.
I still get people pissed off when I don't answer my home phone. My mom will call my cellphone, text me and then try my home phone. If I don't answer, then I did a terrible, horrible thing. Then I get interrogated where I've been, why I didn't answer or reply to her texts. Like geezus. I miss not having all these communication avenues.
Not dressing to the 9s when on an airplane. You used to essentially have to wear business suits/business formal when flying. Now comfy clothes are fine.
It's a giant, dirty bus, in the air. I'd wear a plastic bubble if I could.
Expressing pro-LGBTQ opinions without first saying "I'm not gay, but..."
Telling your parents they're wrong.
Just did this the other day, it was so awesome. She called me a b*tch in front of my coworkers this morning, but it was worth it. No one calls me a liar for having sleep problems and then gets mad at me for them later! Have fun with that "mom"
Being a minority, whether it be religious or ethnic. Luckily, it is legal to not be a white Christain now, but you used to be mobbed or persecuted over what you believe in or what you look like.
Accomodating neurodivergent people. Don't get me wrong, it's still awful. But it's a hell of a lot better than it was maybe 5 years ago. Whether it's "autism hours" in supermarkets to lower risk of overstimulation or just not commenting on stims being "weird", it's definitely progress. It's less taboo and less ignored now than it's been in the past
I am a high functioning autistic so I'm not overly sensitive to noise or bright lights, but I still appreciate people understanding my DIFFERENCE! Not disability, not fault, not defect, DIFFERENCE!
The stigma surrounding mental illness has dissipated. We can now talk openly about mental health struggles and even take a mental health day off work. Mental Health struggles are being seen as legitimate and debilitating illnesses that used to be brushed off and people told to "Brighten up" or "Just get over it"
In my own personal experience, this is true. I have bad anxiety and sometimes have panic attacks. My current employer and coworkers are so understanding about it, whereas in the past I've been penalized or even mocked for having anxiety.
Not knowing how to write in cursive.
I'm sorry cursive is no longer being taught. We are losing a great art.
Swearing (to an extent).
Especially for women. I still have people policing my wording when I use profanity. My favorite thing is when some Conservative Christian unleashes all of their usual rhetoric about how I'm a murderer sinner brainwasher who's going to burn in hell for all eternity and LGBTQ+ is a sin, and when I respond with "f**k off," they then complain about my "bad language" and it's "unladylike" and "rude." Sorry, but I think telling a kid that they're going to burn in hell for being bi is far more offensive than a four-letter word, but I'm just so wacky and sinful that way. But really, f**k ALL the way off.
Being a witch/pagan although I did discover that in some countries it is still best to keep your pentacle tucked away,
disrespect and rudeness. it happens all the time and no one speaks up because they're afraid of the confrontation and i don't blame them. rage is on the rise.
Honestly, disrespect and rudeness have always existed. I feel like people romanticize the past in a way that's not realistic. Every single generation thinks the next generation coming up is so much worse than theirs. It's really not any different. I think the opposite - people speak up about rudeness and disrespect so much that they're labelled "snowflakes."
Mylar balloons aren't good for the environment. They can short-circuit power equipment and lead to outages and fires. They can float for days and miles and return to earth as ugly litter that pollutes pristine places. They end up in the stomachs of countless land animals and sea creatures that eat them and die. They waste helium which is a finite resource. They are synthetic products that will never biodegrade. They're pretty to look at but releasing them to ride the winds is irresponsible.
So, I read this prompt backward. This answer works if the question was worded opposite, "What is something that ISN'T socially acceptable now, that used to be okay?" I'd delete it, but I don't know how.
Now I actually think about it... anything. You can carry a lightsaber in public and nobody blinks, everybody has an opinion but nobody is accountable, and now I've said all of that, I'll let you know that it was what ruined the Star wars franchise years ago.
Being a Catholic Christian. The KKK tried to wipe us out. One Catholic priest was killed because a White Protestant man's daughter married someone outside of her own race.
Yes, Black people were not the only target. Jews, Catholics, gays, and other groups that were not WASP
Talking about casual s and having casual s with lots of people. Talking about recovery in S Addicts Anonymous.
I don't know why this has down votes.. it's true. We couldn't talk about it and now we can talk about this horrible disease. S Addiction includes people who sleep with more people than they want to and wake up feeling ashamed. Maybe look up 's and love addiction anonymous' too
To not be affiliated with Christianity, or any other religious/political group, wherever that group is prominent. Now it seems to be almost the opposite.
In the UK, we prefer our politicians to keep their religion (if any) a private matter. I get the impression that to declare oneself atheist in much of the US is political suicide.
Ooh, here's a random one - women wearing hats in church. Back in the day, it was practically a competition to see if one's church hat could outdo another's. Now, it's frowned upon, which sucks. Those ladies had some wild tastes.
...I did this backwards, didn't I. Heckin' heck. Sorry ,guys.
Birth control and practicing safe sex... people have finally realised it shouldn't be so taboo.
Relatedly, more flexibility when you begin a family. Gone are the days of kids by 21, now you can start a family in your 30's, 40's or even still in your 20's without people batting much of an eye.
Depending on where you live, it's still not socially accepted, not then and not now either :(
Women getting educations... before they were first to leave education, first to be asked by family to stop. If they did go to uni then they were expected to find a man when there.
It was assumed that even if a woman got a degree she was really in college to get her "MRS".
Women having their own bank accounts. My grandmother had to give a permission from her husband
Talking to strangers on the internet
Men/non-binary beings modeling beautiful dresses and skirt/blouse ensembles ont the runway.
I don't mind that at all but one thing I will always stand by is that a beautiful woman is and always will be beyond compare when rocking a frock, full stop. :)
Choosing not to have children.
More people are choosing to be Childfree, but it's not completely accepted. I still get the you will change your mind bit. I tell them there is nothing wrong with the mind I have.
Being really needy and general nerdculture. You used to be beaten up for it, now the coolest kids are usually pretty openly nerdy.
NOT smacking/abusing your child, NOT scaring your child into submission.
Too many times do I remember my X and early millennial generations being openly hit and screamed swore at. It was the norm… I remember both my sibling and I on the sofa begging not to get a smack and knowing what was coming. We would compete with friends in later years about who was the hardest, based on how bad we got it.
It’s only now, as an older mum, that I can reflect and recognise on bad practices when teaching my child. Really I’m the one being schooled and realising how fudged up it all was.
The downvote zombies will probably eat my brains for this, but hurting children is ALWAYS WRONG. It's fricked up and just disgusting.
Wandering around with a hot coffee.
Or a bottle of water. Walking around with beverages in general was just weird and strange up until the 90s.
Wearing shorts, flip-flops, tank tops, or really anything other than your Sunday best on an airplane.
I couln't care less about what one wears, although I do prefer a person to be showered and not smelling like a horses a*s when you're so close near each other... And putting up feet on another persons chair is just rude.... I'd ask nicely once to remove them, and as they are adults, I never ask nicely twice ;)
Respecting women
Your statement implies that it used to be socially unacceptable to respect a woman...? Sure, not being respected. But when was it unacceptable?
Talking about cancer. Years ago, it was literally whispered, if said at all. If you said it, you’d catch it.
And still most people don't understand what it even is. People have cancerous cells all the time. But the body usually deals with it.
Buttkinis..butts hanging out everywhere. Butts used to be only used in public to "moon" someone, now we see butts all the time...I still think butts are funny
Butts are funny. We as humans are fascinated with butts - cute baby butts, funny loud butts, big butts, little butts…we love butts
Women wearing trousers
That's so funny but true. I remember the biggest thrill about going to high school was that l would be allowed to wear slacks, jeans & sandals. Elementary& middle school we had to wear skirt & dresses.
Divorce.
Dressing like you crawled out of a dumpster to go to work. It seems to be very trendy to look unkempt. Clothes fit badly, dirty white shoes, colours and patterns that don't match. (To me it's still a no-no)
Haven't seen this at all in any standard white collar work. Even my partner, who works 95% from home now, still has to do their makeup and hair a bit before hopping on webcam, even when they're not working with direct clients or customers. If anything, I'm glad that the stigma seems to be lifting a bit... it really troubled a lot of people I've known just how much effort you need to put forth to present yourself, especially for women, who are still often expected to go above and beyond. My partner felt judged and intimidated at their last job, because almost all of the women wore a dizzying array of outfits, hairstyles, makeup - skirts, dresses, pants... men are expected to be clean and presentable. Unwrinkled button down shirt. Neat but simple dress slacks. Basic, clean shoes. Women are still expected to spend at least an hour in front of the mirror every morning. Should it be a slobfest? Of course not. But I still prefer a more relaxed look to a perfectly manicured one.
Having babies out of wedlock.
Smoking in restaurants and department stores and just about everywhere in the 1970s
Letting men see you without makeup or perfect hair. My mom used to tell me to never let a man see you put on makeup as if it was something to be put on in secret so he would somehow think you were born with mascara on.
Staying up late and saying workpants
One thing that seems to be okay now? Publicly commenting on other peoples weight, because 'it's a health issue'. Y'know back in the day weighing more was looked upon as a symbol of being well off. Being too thin was a sign of illness or poverty. Now it's okay to tell everyone you meet what you think of their bodies, because it's 'unhealthy' to be fat, and everyone seems to have the right to point it out.
It strikes me as absolutely ridiculous and hypocritical that people get so pressed about someone else's weight. I've had people tell me stupid stuff like "well it makes everyone's insurance cost more." Uh, okay. So do you lecture smokers? Speeders? People with unhealthy diets who happen to be thin? People who drink alcohol? No? Then you're a judgmental twat who needs to sit down.
Women at the pub alone
Living alone. Was considered very weird if not frowned upon just 25 years ago.
Choosing to not get married and not having children.
holding babies, i read that parents were told not to hold babies for too often because they'll get clingly and wouldnt develop their independence properly
You can not spoil a baby. And they're babies for such a short time ... Enjoy every minute of it!! Oooh I'm getting broody again
Smoking. When I was younger it was considered cool, now it is horribly antisocial, incredibly unhealthy and simply looks stupid
I’m sorry, I posted the above, I misread the thread topic in exactly the opposite way - what used to be acceptable and now isn’t 😫 can’t seem to find how to delete it
Filming yourself. If it's tiktok dances, opening packages or just eating Gen Z will film it.
Talking about freedom of speech but stifle those who have a different opinion than you, and the mass
Being pregnant without being married. In 1970 my best friend was not allowed to attend school because she was pregnant. They had to pay to send her away to a “home for unwed mother’s.” Two years later two other classmates graduated pregnant and no one had a fit. Go figure.
Being treated for mental illness rather than locked away
Thank God. I often am thankful i wasn't German in 1930/40s as i would've been rounded up and sent to a concentration camp just because I have mental health issues 💔 😓
Desegregation! BIPOC holding government office, including POTUS, women having successful and fulfilling careers. Couple s living together before marriage, women choosing to not have kids and/or be single.
What is a "BIPOC" and why is there a need to create all these "titles" for everything? Aren't we just all people?
based on what I know, single moms. Now, its accepted, but then... lets just say it wasn't
Wearing pajamas and slippers in public as clothes.
This has cycled in America a few times. It was a 90s/early 2000s thing for a while, especially in college classes or on planes. For a while, we had rules that you couldn't wear your pajamas to class in the 2000s, but pandemic changed all that.
Cosplaying and watching anime. I used to his the fact I watch anime until last year and still hide the fact I cosplay from most but I enjoy it
I'll never hide what I love, and I'm an older woman that lives anime/manga/gaming, etc. lol. I get a lot of compliments on my itabag when we go out, it drives my husband crazy XD
Charging ridiculous amounts for a tiny rental apartment, simply because "the market" demands it. When "the market" is just other property owners raising their rents because they saw another property in town was charging more, so it must be OK for them to charge more as well.
Not new at all, luv. The term "slumlord" has been around a very long time
Ignoring people you are at a meal with. Now so many people just look at their phone or will stop a conversation to reply to it.
Grooming children. Downvote me to oblivion, it won't change the fact that anyone who turns a blind eye to this sort of thing is complicit.
Being an independent woman who is heavily tattooed and pierced and also highly respected in my field .
It's your body As long as you're clean & appropriately dressed, you do you. That is none of my business as long as you can do your assigned job.
Censorhip.
People wearing bedroom slippers, shower cap, pajamas, and sometimes even just a bathrobe to go to the store.
Ladies wearing white dress gloves
Church attendance
One telephone
More than three channels
Unmarried living together
Men using vulgar language in front of women.
In that same vein: Once off-color slang terms now being used as "euphemisms."
Owning a fart in an elevator
Owning a public fart period. Especially if you are female. Ladies didn't do such things
Really being able to tell people about how you feel emotions. For instance, with big things that cause a lot of emotion in others, I do not have any; there are absolutely no feelings. All I actually want is to have headphones over my ears with music playing full blast (yes I know it can cause hearing loss). The same with other's feelings. I have noticed that more people are being honest about being unable to understand other people's feelings fully or at all.
Everyone is reading the question differently.
Is it 1) what IS socially acceptable now or 2) what IS NOT now
Shitty f*****g piloting of an automobile ie: not indicating correctly if at all, not letting f*****s merge, sitting in the right lane while not overtaking for hundreds of miles for no good reason, and generally being unaware.
Black people existing
Gay being a disease
Someone presenting as female wearing their hair down
To publicly display the word F*CK on flags, bumper stickers and clothing.
LGBTIQAP+ bc heyyy all my fellow peoples!!!
I am waiting in hope for the AtoZ community. Everyone is included, whatever label they make for themselves or labels they reject for themselves. I am me. You are you. We are beings of worth
It entirely depends on where you live. Here being gay is "legal" but people are still killed for it, even more so being trans. And try to get a job being trans or disabled or worse, being both, no one wants to employ you.
Employers will absolutely jump thru hoops to get rid of Trans employees, I've seen it happen. It's ridiculous. If they do their job well and don't eff things up for the company, that should be all that matters.
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They totally left out not having kids if you don't want them. A lot of people are tossing aside the "Life-Script" expectations and not putting up with the "...a woman's purpose in life..." b******t that's been shoved down our throats since childhood.
It's not acceptable to all people. My married sister is still hounded to reproduce all the time even though she and her husband don't want any. And there are so many articles and discussions about it. If anything I feel like people should give reason to why they want kids.
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I feel like society has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go...
It entirely depends on where you live. Here being gay is "legal" but people are still killed for it, even more so being trans. And try to get a job being trans or disabled or worse, being both, no one wants to employ you.
Employers will absolutely jump thru hoops to get rid of Trans employees, I've seen it happen. It's ridiculous. If they do their job well and don't eff things up for the company, that should be all that matters.
Load More Replies... They totally left out not having kids if you don't want them. A lot of people are tossing aside the "Life-Script" expectations and not putting up with the "...a woman's purpose in life..." b******t that's been shoved down our throats since childhood.
It's not acceptable to all people. My married sister is still hounded to reproduce all the time even though she and her husband don't want any. And there are so many articles and discussions about it. If anything I feel like people should give reason to why they want kids.
Load More Replies... I feel like society has come a long way, but we still have a long way to go...
