Have Canadians gotten ruder? Poll suggests perceived decline in politeness

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About half of Canadians think their fellow residents have become "less polite" over the past five years, according to a new poll.

Vancouver's Research Co. asked 1,000 people about their perceptions of civility in Canadian society, and 52 per cent of them reported they believe the behaviour of those around them has become cruder since 2014.

Only eight per cent thought people have become more polite, while 33 per cent said people's manners have stayed "about the same."

"Almost half of Canadians aged 18 to 34 … say they experience impoliteness on social media a few times a week," Research Co. President and CEO Mario Canseco said in a statement. "Only 12 per cent of Canada’s millennials say they only face rudeness on social media less often than a few times a year."

Three in 10 of those who took the survey reported dealing with someone being rude or impolite several times a week, including while driving (23 per cent), while shopping (16 per cent) and at work (15 per cent).

A third of respondents said the people the deal with on a regular basis say "please" and "thank you" less often than five years ago. That number was higher among those aged 55 and over (40 per cent) and among Albertans (43 per cent).

But why the perceived decline in civility?

A whopping 84 per cent of those polled said bad parenting was "definitely" or "probably" responsible for the apparent change in politeness.

About three in four respondents also cited the influence of TV and movies and poor examples set by celebrities and public figures.

Research Co.'s survey was conducted online between April 4 and 7. The data carries a margin of error of 3.1 per cent.