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"...it took me by surprise back then. In 2018, the way people pop off at famous perform­ers online is eye-wateringly shocking. To talk to any­one like that is stunning, but to say it to someone you have never met, someone who commands respect for putting themselves out there, for being creatively vulnerable every time they make some entertainment for us, is jarring. It's easy to pop off now, though. Malicious fans have no skin in the game..." [Fame (Justine Bateman)]

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Generational conflict is not a new phenomenon, as patterns of mutual frustration have often cascaded down for centuries, exemplified by Philip Larkin’s observation that parents inevitably "fuck you up" because they were in turn "fucked up" by their own parents. However, the sources suggest that a more publicly adversarial and "mean-spirited" tone toward older generations took a definitive turn in the 1960s.

This shift was largely driven by the arrival of the first generation of "television children," who reached adulthood in the late 1960s. This era introduced a significant "credibility gap" because television began to merge previously distinct social situations, exposing the "backstage" inconsistencies and perceived hypocrisies of adults to their children. This transparency led to widespread disrespect for authorities and the famous 1960s slogan, "Don’t trust anyone over 30!". This sentiment was not just about age, but a rejection of a pre-television generation that tried to maintain a strict separation between private behavior and public masks.

The sources indicate that this trend has intensified in recent decades through several mechanisms:

• Media Demystification: Television and newer electronic media have served as instruments of demystification, revealing the "ordinariness" of everyone from parents to Presidents. After seeing the flaws of extraordinary people in close-up, the younger generations have become more aware of what those in authority do not know or cannot do, leading to a decline in traditional deference.
• The Culture of Criticism: In modern educational settings, students are often trained to "condemn the system" and look for systemic wrongs, a practice that can raise a student's status within their peer group even if they have not mastered their actual coursework.
• Performative Shaming: The rise of social media has created what researchers call an "outrage machine," characterized by "performative shaming". This has manifested in "online mobs" that seek the "maximal removal of status" and "reputational death" of their targets.
• Targeted Scapegoating: A recurrent example of this modern friction is "cancellation" or the public shaming of "Karens" (often older women caught in unfortunate interactions on video), which acts as a secularized religious scapegoating ritual for broader societal frustrations that feel untouchable.

Consequently, while older generations may view the 1960s as a point where "civility" began to decline, younger cohorts often view their "meaner" or more aggressive tactics as a necessary form of "outrage" required to disrupt established hierarchies like patriarchy or white supremacy. Current platforms have made these interactions "far uglier, faster, more polarized," and more likely to incite performative conflict than in the past.

Sources: Excerpt Library: Sociology I, Sociology II