Are people getting more immoral and less friendly, or is it just me? Researchers think it’s me

Psychologists think biased exposure and biased memory explain why we think folks seem meaner today

When we think about the past, it seems that the good memories have lasted longer than the bad. ST ILLUSTRATION: MANNY FRANCISCO
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

Indulge me, if you will, in a little scoring exercise: On a scale of one to 10, rate how kind, honest, nice, and good people are today.

Now what about in the year you turned 20? Got it? Okay, how about the year you were born?

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.