Why Australians Have Stopped Being Nice (The Data Doesn't Lie)

Have you noticed people seem shorter-tempered lately?

The bloke who snaps at you in the supermarket queue. The relative who tears strips off a nurse in a hospital waiting room. The parent screaming at a teenage umpire at a junior footy match.

You're not imagining it. Nearly nine in ten retail workers in Australia were verbally abused in the last year. Principals are being threatened at nearly double the rate they were in 2011. And nurses are copping violence and aggression on the job at record levels.

But here's the twist - Australia isn't actually becoming more violent. Assault rates have been falling for over a decade. So what's really going on, and more importantly, what's driving it?

In this episode, Simon Kuestenmacher talks about why Australia feels angrier, even as physical violence keeps falling.

By the end of today's show you'll understand exactly why Australians are getting angrier without getting more violent, what role your smartphone and social media are playing in rewiring how we treat each other, and why financial pressure and cost of living stress might be the biggest hidden driver of all.

And for those of us in business or dealing with clients and tenants, there's a real lesson in here about who cops the anger and why.

We unpack how online outrage, social media algorithms, and financial stress are reshaping everyday behaviour.

We look at how frontline workers in retail, health, education, and transport are copping more abuse.

We discuss why young people are especially exposed to cyberbullying and online hate.

We finish by exploring what businesses and governments can do to reduce frustration and protect staff.

Takeaways