How quickly should you RSVP to an event? What do you do if you show up underdressed? Do you call someone or send a text? Everyone at dinner is on their phones, is that ok?

Social expectations are always changing and have become more relaxed in the last 50 years.

This week on Noon Edition, we’ll talk with guests about common courtesies and social expectations, and the ways these have changed in recent years with influences like social media, technology, and COVID.

A Pew Research Survey reports 31 percent of American adults are almost constantly online and more than half are online several times a day.

And since 2019, virtual meetings have increased by 50 percent. The move to remote work and virtual interaction means many workplaces now have more relaxed dress codes.

Social events are changing too, and demand for live events is on the rise. The Wall Street Journal reported a 45 percent increase in concert ticket sales from 2019 to 2023, despite a 14 percent jump in ticket sale prices.

But for that price, people have varying expectations of the experience. Some want to document the experience by taking videos and pictures on their phones. And some attendees object to heavy cell phone use during live entertainment. 

People are spending more on personal events like weddings. According to The Knot, the average wedding cost in 2024 is $33,000. Americans will spend a record $68.7 billion in 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic prices by more than $16 billion.

But the rise in spending trends puts pressure on hosts and their family. Guests and wedding party members turn online to vent frustrations about the cost of attending. And some bridal party members report going into debt to participate in an event. 

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You can also record your questions and send them in through email.

Guests

Rahul Shrivastav, Executive Director IU Dining and Hospitality

Cebronica Luft, Founder of 317 Events and cofounder/partner of The Pavilion at The Pan Am Plaza

Beverly Randolph, Etiquette and International Protocol Coach, The Protocol School of Indianapolis