Maintenance of manners has been declining, if not vanishing. It is not an overstatement. A close look into society and people will help verify the statement. Unfortunately, there is a growing trend of contradicting any proposition or statement without taking a minimum time to verify it. This reflects another problem in society which is also associated with manner.
Generally manners are a code of good customary acts and social conducts. These are often similar throughout different cultures and generalised in nature. For instance, being polite and respecting the elders are good manners recognised by almost all the cultures and societies. That's why there is a universal face of manners.
Though used interchangeably, manner is different from etiquette which is a specific code of behaviour. It guides individuals 'to behave in special situations in a socially approved and cultured manner.' Etiquette may vary from culture to culture. Manner actually acts as a foundation of etiquette. It means without learning and nurturing manners from childhood, it is very difficult to adopt and practise etiquette in later life.
Manners are instilled at a younger age and mostly by parents. Childhood schooling also plays a critical role to learn manners. It is a matter of disappointment that a large number of parents are now putting less effort to instruct manners to their children. Most of the schools also care little about manners. Non-cooperation from many guardians compromises instructing manners in educational institutions. Thus more children are growing without adequate knowledge of manners and in their adulthood they are also ignoring etiquettes largely.
Ignoring manners is reflected everyday life. Talking loudly over cell phone anywhere, shoving in queues, yelling in public spots are frequent now. Disrespect for women and elderly people is growing. The list is quite long. As more people are getting used to neglect manners, some become surprised or even disturbed observing decent or disciplined behaviour in public spheres. Some of them even become annoyed and ridicule such behaviour.
It becomes also difficult to talk about manners let alone instruct these. If teachers try to teach some manners in school and get strict to unwilling students, some guardians take it personally and make their objections known. They argue that school has nothing to do with manners but classes and tests. People who care little about manners find good manners useless or needless while many young people find these outdated or backdated. For them, there is no need to seek permission or request for something.
Thus, ignoring manners is now a way of life and seems to be getting worse in the near future. In this process, society is slowly advancing towards a stage where uncouth people will dominate everything. It is not a fault of a particular individual or person. It is a collective failure. That's why it becomes a matter of concern. Without learning, practising and preaching manners a society can't be a vibrant and cultured one.