Why Don't People Say "You're Welcome" Anymore? (2024)

FAQs

Why Don't People Say "You're Welcome" Anymore? ›

While older generations might interpret this shift as a sign of a decay in manners, many young people view responses like "OK" or "Mm-hmm" as more courteous than the traditional "You're welcome." The change may signal that the younger generations are actually kinder than the older ones.

Older people tend to say “you're welcome,” younger people tend to say “no problem.” This is because for older people the act of helping or assisting someone is seen as a task that is not expected of them, but is them doing extra, so it's them saying, “I accept your thanks because I know I deserve it.”

The answer likely has to do with the fact that “thank you” is often used for very routine favors (like handing someone a coffee or telling them the time) and to close down conversations. In such cases, the traditional “you're welcome” can seem to be too formal or even a bit gloating.

Though he acknowledged "you're welcome" might be the textbook response to "thank you," it "can sometimes feel a little passive-aggressive," he said, adding, "it has this implication of, 'I know, you should be thanking me. '"

'Of course' by itself means obvious, expected. So when someone says 'of course' instead of 'you're welcome', the feeling is “it's obvious that I would do that because I want to do that'. It's friendly. It's a friendly way to say it.

While older generations might interpret this shift as a sign of a decay in manners, many young people view responses like "OK" or "Mm-hmm" as more courteous than the traditional "You're welcome." The change may signal that the younger generations are actually kinder than the older ones.

But to a more casual “thanks,” “you're welcome” might come across as snarky while “no problem” doesn't have, well, the same problem. So, yes, there might be some sarcasm behind the “you're welcome,” but don't lose hope; there is often still a lot of gratitude, too. Aijmer, Karin. 1996.

When you do a favor, and someone says “thank you,” the automatic response is “you're welcome.” It's a basic rule of politeness, and it signals that you accept the expression of gratitude—or that you were happy to help.

If the person brushes off your question or does not respond with a “thank you,” try not to let it bother you. Work on ending the conversation on a positive note, even if you did not get the thanks you wanted. For example, you may say to the person, “It bothers me that you do not show thanks for the gift.

Responding to a “thank you” email is considered discretionary. Consider your personality and your audience. If you are a chatty person in face to face conversations, it may be best to respond to a “thank you” email. However, if you are not very outgoing, you can probably get away without a response.

What is better than saying you're welcome? ›

A few casual alternatives include no worries, no problem, and anytime. No worries. I'm happy to help! No problem.

According to many, replying with 'you're welcome' comes off as rude to many people, so they use alternative phrasing. 'It can sometimes feel a little passive-aggressive,' TikTok user Arjuna explained in a clip. 'It has this implication of, "I know, you should be thanking me."'

“You're welcome” is the common response to “Thank you.” When “You're welcome” is said sarcastically, it's typically because the “Thank you” was never said. The sarcastic “You're welcome” is really an example of irony: due to your lack of gratitude, you're not welcome. But it does depend on the context.

Today, manners have become less common in Generation Z because they simply don't see a need for them. But manners are the most important courtesy in human behavior. Many people think of manners as the classic “please and thank you,” but there are so many ways to display manners, more than I can count.

Some people can't stand it when you say "no problem" because this reply suggests that the person speaking to you thinks that their request is a problem—one they're asking you to solve. This puts that person on the defensive, thinking: "I know it's no problem. I'm not asking you for a favor. This is your job!"

Millie admitted that there is a divide on this between younger and older Americans — while the older ones still tend to say, “you're welcome,” younger ones do often go the “yep” route. But it's not meant to be rude or dismissive.

The sub-class of phatic expressions involving “you're welcome” and “no problem” is known as minimizers, and “no problem” is indeed newer (although it seems to date to the 1980s, so it's not a perfect correlation with Millennials).

The correct phrase is you're welcome. Keep in mind that you're is a contraction that stands for you are. Thus, you're welcome = you are welcome.

"no longer welcomed" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when you want to indicate that someone is not receiving the same welcome or acceptance they used to. Example: The new students were initially welcomed, but now they are no longer welcomed by the existing student body.