Adults Are Throwing Tantrums More Often. Should We Blame the Pandemic?

Consumer aggression and general crankiness is increasing. Customer satisfaction is at the lowest level since 2005. Product shortages, labor shortages and people’s short fuses are all cited as part of the problem. A Wall Street Journal article explores exactly why so many people have become such jerks when dining, flying or shopping. Is the pandemic to blame?

In part, yes. The supply and labor issues make all of those experiences worse, but I kept thinking about the old cliche that you should never trust someone who is rude to a waiter. If experiencing a flight delay, or finding a product out of stock, or being asked to put on a mask in a store turns you into an angry tantrum-throwing asshole ... you should probably start by working on yourself, instead of blaming the pandemic.