Gen Y Singaporeans becoming more gracious

2012 Graciousness Index showed the youth really are getting nicer.

According to the Singapore Kindness Movement, the 2012 Graciousness Index released 28 March showed that Singaporeans' graciousness averaged to 6.3. Those aged 16-29 have significantly outdone the generations before them in terms of increasing their sensitivity to graciousness. While Gen X (aged 30-50) and Babyboomers (older than 50) remained relatively stable in their mean graciousness ratings, Gen Y (aged 16-29) ratings jumped up 0.4 from 5.9 to a mean of 6.3.

Here's more from SKM:

 In the 2012 Graciousness Index, a lack of time was the most often cited excuse for not being more kind or gracious to others.

The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) draws attention to some of the things that Singaporeans spend a lot of time on: mobile phones, browsing social media pages, playing computer games and mobile apps. The idea is then put forward that it does not take a lot of time to do something kind or gracious.

The Index also revealed that graciousness ratings are generally lower on public transport, public eating places such as hawker centres and food courts, as well as on the road. Accordingly, these public spaces are a focus area for this year’s campaign.

Each day, millions of commuters make use of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and bus services. The SKM is encouraging the public to make the most of this daily commuting time to make someone’s day.

For instance, one MRT station wall mural illustrates a popular mobile game with the following message, “Scrambling for words: 2 mins. Giving up your seat: 2 secs. If there’s time for distractions, surely there’s time for gracious actions.”

Two 30-second television commercials, showing how little time it takes to move in to make space on a crowded bus and noticing that someone else needs your hawker centre seat, are now airing on both local and cable channels. Materials are also placed in strategic locations such as MRT trains and stations, buses and bus stop shelters and lamppost banners, to ensure high visibility and targeted messaging to audiences in these public spaces.