What social convention baffles you?

I take attendance by having students answer a question.

What social convention baffles you? (previously I've asked this but don't seem to have blogged it)

Some responses were understandably baffling IMHO:

• not putting elbows on table. why??
• jaywalking >:(
• why do people do absolutely stupid dares?
• starting school at 8:30am
• pretending to work 8 hours a day 5 days a week

Others were for pretty reasonable social conventions that (I hope) students actually do understand, they just... choose not to participate in... I guess?

• small talk
• lying
• washing hands after using the restroom
• sleeping
• a lot of things, saying bless you? "thoughts & prayers"...
• TikTok
• most things young people do. Also, eating cereal as a meal. It's literally like eating chips as sustenance.
• using chopsticks to eat chips, ice cream, etc.
• talking to strangers

Many students just outright want to be socially bizarre and asocial/prosocial in unusual ways. I get it. They're all great. I enjoy being in a community that intentionally accepts students who tend this way, and cultivates their eccentricities. College is fantastic and I'm extremely lucky that I never have to leave it.

• social cues
• socializing
• quiet floors at Swat libraries
• Swarthmore misery poker
• asking "how are you" and always responding with "good, you?"
• saying "how r u?" and not finishing interaction
• socializing with people you don't like
• pretending to GAF
• "You should go outside once in awhile"

This casts a pretty dark look at the mindset of students in my class. But more unusual and weird is what emerges from my favorites:

• walking using two legs
• everything
• all of them I was raised in a barn
• feudalism

... students are wonderful, unique balls of curious accumulated behaviors and thoughts and they are utterly, utterly fascinating. And apparently one was raised in a barn.

This post's theme word is