Many languages around the world require children/teenagers to address adults formally, such as with “Mr/Ms/Herr/Monsieur/Madame” + surname or the formal “you.” Otherwise, its disrespectful and punishable. But adults can address even stranger children/teens informally without backlash. Why?

r/AskSocialScience

I’m really into analyzing child-adult relations in society, and this is something that has confused me. It’s typical to punish kids for calling adults by first name or using the informal “you,” when adults are allowed to do it with children without consequence. If this were any other group like between adult men and women, or white people and black people, this would be recognized as discrimination. So why not between adults and children?

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