Latest news with #socialnorms
Wall Street Journal
21 hours ago
- General
- Wall Street Journal
‘Welcome In'? OK, Game On
While I've never been greeted with 'Welcome in,' I read with amusement your piece on its possible origins and widespread dislike ('The Two-Word Greeting Driving Shoppers Nuts,' Page One, June 2). Our hypersensitivity to minor breaches of etiquette likely reflects a broader sense of powerlessness. In a world shaped by algorithms, bureaucracies and global forces, the few areas where we can exert control such as language, traffic rules and other social norms often become battlegrounds. Psychologists call this displacement: redirecting frustration from sources we can't confront—say, bosses or traffic—onto safer targets, perhaps a barista who says 'Welcome in.' Language is one of the last places we feel ownership, so when someone uses a phrase that sounds like corporate training-speak or TikTok mimicry, it can feel like an invasion. Although 'Welcome in' is odd, maybe we should embrace the weirdness. If I'm ever greeted with it, I might respond, 'Accepted. Commencing interaction.' I'll walk away feeling like I won an invisible game no one else knew was being played.
Washington Post
5 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Miss Manners: Can saying ‘excuse me' be rude?
Dear Miss Manners: I would like to hear your opinion on whether or not using 'Excuse me' can be rude. In my opinion, if I can see that a person's activity will only take a minute, it is rude to say, 'Excuse me,' and expect them to stop what they're doing to allow me to accomplish my task. The proper thing to do, in my mind, is to patiently wait my turn. What do you think? It depends on the activity. If someone is standing in your way in the grocery aisle, trying to decide between mayonnaise brands, you should patiently wait your turn. If that person is blocking you while texting a spouse, having an intense argument about whether mayonnaise should be in their diet at all, and should we even be married if you don't care enough to pick up the things I asked ... then the task at hand is not going to soon be accomplished. In that case, you may say, 'Excuse me,' with Miss Manners's blessing. Note that tone is important, too. A haughty 'Well, exCUSE Me!' is always rude. Dear Miss Manners: My brother and I celebrated the birthday of a close friend with several others. The dinner was at a local restaurant, beginning at 5 p.m. (stated time). We had difficulty finding parking and arrived fifteen minutes late, but not because we were careless of the time. Our friends had a table just to the left of the front door. It was obvious that the remaining eight of them had arrived early, for there were empty glasses and picked-over appetizers. I don't see how they could have ordered and finished drinks and appetizers within 15 minutes or so, unless they'd all gathered prior to the stated time. No one had mentioned they were going to do this or reached out to find why we were late. Last to arrive, we soon had our own cocktails. Still, it bothers me that the rest of the party gathered before us. Most of these friends see each other at least twice a week, when we don't. In prior birthday events, perhaps a couple arrived early and had a cocktail, but never the rest of the party together, so this hadn't bothered me before. This time it did. Am I being oversensitive? I think if the party starts at a stated time, the guests arrive around that time and wait a few minutes before ordering anything. This situation has occurred before, but not to this degree. I feel my friends have moved on. Should I? Your case would be a whole lot stronger had you not been 15 minutes late. As it stands, your friends could say they were not sure when or even if you were coming, so went ahead with ordering drinks. No doubt — they might add — the waitstaff was pressuring them to do so. To get them to admit they were there longer than that would be tantamount to accusing them of fooling you — not a good look or a pleasant way to celebrate a birthday, Miss Manners assures you. Perhaps you should hold off casting aside a whole group of close friends until you have evidence of malice. If you really want to catch them in the act, you had better get there on time or even early. That includes leaving extra time for parking. New Miss Manners columns are posted Monday through Saturday on You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, You can also follow her @RealMissManners. © 2025 Judith Martin
Al Arabiya
7 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Vietnam scraps two-child limit: State media
Vietnam has scrapped a long-standing policy of limiting families to two children, state media said Wednesday, as the communist-run country contends with a declining birth rate. The decision on the number of children is now a decision for each individual couple, Vietnam News Agency said. The country has experienced 'historically' low birth rates during the last three years, with the total fertility rate dropping to just 1.91 children per woman last year, below replacement level, the Ministry of Health said this year. The decline in birth rates was from 2.11 children per woman in 2021, down to 2.01 in 2022 and 1.96 in 2023. Tran Minh Huong, a 22-year-old office worker, told AFP that the government regulation mattered little to her as she had no plans to have children. 'Even though I am an Asian, with social norms that say women need to get married and have kids, it's too costly to raise a child.'
Coin Geek
28-05-2025
- Business
- Coin Geek
Studies highlight AI's similarity with humans, impact on hiring
Homepage > News > Business > Studies highlight AI's similarity with humans, impact on hiring Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... A new research has revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) can develop social conventions and norms akin to human societies without guidance from creators or users. The research, a collaboration between the University of London and the IT University of Copenhagen, indicates similarities between AI agents and human societies. The study indicates that AI agents in groups exhibit patterns of language and social norms similar to those of humans. Lead researcher Ariel Ashery notes that the study viewed AI via the lenses of social interactions rather than the conventional approach as a lone entity. The researchers paired large language models (LLMs) in groups and prompted the AI agents to select a name. The researchers issued a reward each time the paired LLMs selected the same names, while a penalty was given for each dissimilar choice. Experts limited the memory of the AI agents and did not disclose that the tests were part of a broader study. Despite a limited memory and not being aware of the existence of a larger group, the AI agents adopted new naming conventions without any prior prompting. Across the larger group, the researchers reported similar naming conventions resembling human societies. 'The agents are not copying a leader. They are all actively trying to coordinate, and always in pairs,' said a researcher. 'Each interaction is a one-on-one attempt to agree on a label, without any global view.' Apart from uniform naming conventions exhibited by the AI agents, the researchers revealed that collective biases were occurring, but identifying the source of the bias proved impossible for the team. The researchers probed even further, identifying instances of a small group of AI agents working together to introduce new naming conventions for the larger group. The paper noted that the latest research will guide AI companies and regulators in designing safe models for commercial applications. 'Understanding how they operate is key to leading our coexistence with AI, rather than being subject to it,' read the paper, dubbed Emergent Social Conventions and Collective Bias In Populations. As AI chatbots continue to rack impressive adoption metrics, researchers are uncovering new insights into their operations. For instance, researchers from Austria's University of Innsbruck are exploring the upsides of using temporal validity to improve AI chatbot performance. Another study by a group of Belgian scientists revealed that blockchain technology can enable autonomous AI agents to learn. Furthermore, new research indicates that AI chatbots are more inclined to sycophancy over truthful answers. Risks of using AI in hiring processes In separate research, experts from Australia highlighted a streak of discriminatory practices by AI recruiters toward job applicants, sparking worry over their use by HR professionals. Given the lack of diversity of training data, experts are warning against the widespread use of AI hiring systems for candidate screening and shortlisting. Lead researcher Natalie Sheard revealed that AI recruitment systems appear to favor certain demographics, discriminating against candidates from certain regions not included in the training data. Given the lack of diversity of training data, experts are warning against the widespread use of AI hiring systems for candidate screening and shortlisting. Lead researcher Natalie Sheard revealed that AI recruitment systems appear to favor certain demographics, discriminating against candidates from certain regions not included in the training data. In a comparative analysis, Sheard notes that training data sets for AI recruitment software skew the scale in favor of United States-based residents over an international demographic. In the study, the developer of one AI recruiter revealed that only 6% of its training data came from Australia, while 36% of the data came from white job applicants. 'The training data will come from the country where they're built—a lot of them are built in the US, so they don't reflect the demographic groups we have in Australia,' remarked Sheard. The fallout from the pattern of U.S.-based training data from AI hiring systems is far-reaching, as it puts candidates outside the U.S. at an immediate disadvantage, even if they meet the hiring criteria. Non-native English speakers with an accent also face an uphill climb with AI recruiters, with the software failing to transcribe their answers accurately. Despite service providers claiming that AI recruiters can transcribe a broad range of accents with minimal error, Sheard's research highlighted an absence of evidence to back the claim. Sheard's research criticized the use of AI in the hiring process, noting the dire lack of transparency in decisions. She notes that job applicants can easily obtain feedback in human-based processes, unlike AI hiring-based processes. However, the use of blockchain technology can improve transparency in the hiring process, leveling the playing field for all applicants. The research predicts an avalanche of AI discrimination cases in courts by job applicants in outlier demographics rejected by software. From hiring to internal operational processes, AI is revolutionizing the landscape of work worldwide. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report notes that generative AI applications in the workplace will supercharge productivity, but fears of AI-based job losses remain palpable. On the positive side, upskilling can increase staff salaries by up to 40%, while an International Labour Organization (ILO) report notes that job losses from AI are unfairly exaggerated. Southeast Asia is leading the charge for AI integration in the workplace, outpacing North America and Europe in adoption metrics. In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek's coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI. Watch: Demonstrating the potential of blockchain's fusion with AI
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Men Are Sharing The Things Women Think Are Embarrassing, But They Actually Couldn't Care Less About
Let's be honest — we all have things that make us turn red in the face. And while we may feel awkward or cringey in the moment, the experience really boils down to perspective. Reddit user dontucallhimbaby recently asked, "What's something that girls think is embarrassing, but guys don't actually care about?" Here's what men had to say: 1."Being at a party and wearing the same outfit as someone else." —u/Long_Serpent 2."Cellulite." —u/AssPlay69420 3."Being over 30." —u/Used-Gas-6525 4."When people see your house not being perfectly cleaned." —u/Specialist_Pickle675 5."Being seen without makeup." —u/ihavenoclue91 6."Passing gas. Most women are embarrassed by this, but I swear men think it's a riot." —u/Nostalgic_Nola_Spice 7."Rewearing the same outfit." —u/Didntlikedefaultname 8."Anything to do with their period and period-related products. It's completely normal, and there's no reason why society needs women to be super subtle about it or embarrassed if a tampon falls out of their purse. Guys may initially be embarrassed to go to the store and seek out feminine hygiene products for their partner, friends, or a family member, but get over it. The cashier at the pharmacy is not snickering that you bought tampons." —u/MesWantooth Related: 51 People Who Quickly Discovered Why Their Hilariously Clueless Partner Was Single Before Meeting Them 9."Wearing glasses." —u/The_Dues 10."Snorting when they laugh. It is actually so cute." —u/Kaylenz 11."The length of your eyelashes." —u/emwaic7 12."Having bad breath in the morning. We all do. Just shut up and kiss me." —u/[deleted] Related: 27 Horrifying Deaths People Can Never, Ever, Ever, Ever Forget Because They Were That Bad 13."Gray hairs. You earned those, and some of us appreciate experience." —u/novacthall 14."We don't care that you didn't shave your bush." —u/Justin_Shields 15."Being tall? Why are photos of girls always with their knees bent or bending over or whatnot? Just stand up straight for god's sake." —u/deformedfishface 16."Acne. I used to date someone who would cancel if she thought she had a pimple that was too bad. I have never once thought about someone else's acne." —u/kjexclamation 17."Small boobs." —u/WillingCaterpillar19 18."Not looking perfectly stellar in a picture. I'm not looking for a perfect expression." —u/Money_Breh 19."Eating a lot or finishing your plate. I actually like when a girl eats — it means I'm not the only one shoveling food in while you sit there looking politely hungry." —u/MarionberryGuilty957 20."Queefs." —u/WhimsicalSadist 21."Foot size. I don't know who got it into their heads that men are looking at how big women's feet are, but the only time shoe size ever came up was if I saw a shoe sale and wanted to know if they had something that fit my partner." —u/HapticSloughton 22."Scars." —u/PerspectiveThink8555 23."Sneezing naturally. Several ladies I know are holding their sneezes in, which always sounds painful. Let 'er rip." —u/Redcarborundum 24."Stretch marks or their bellies. Like chill out girl, I love them." —u/FloatDH2 25."Pooping. I know you poop, everybody poops." —u/Hefty-Hospital-6817 What else would you add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments! Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Also in Internet Finds: 15 Facebook Marketplace Items You'll Wish, From The Depths Of Your Soul, You Could Unsee Also in Internet Finds: People Are Confessing Their Absolute Pettiest "Revenge Served Cold" Stories, And It's Deliciously Entertaining Also in Internet Finds: My Innocence Has Been Destroyed After Learning These Terrible, Disturbing, And Creepy Things
