Are We Too Easily Offended… Or Not Careful Enough?

Here’s a debate guaranteed to offend at least somebody.

A new poll asked Americans what they think is the bigger problem these days: people being too easily offended, or people not being careful enough about offending others.

And just over half think we’ve become a little too sensitive.

51% said the bigger problem is people getting too easily offended by the language others use.

35% think people need to be more careful about saying things that could offend someone.

And 14% weren’t sure, possibly because they were afraid their answer would offend somebody.

Interestingly, Gen Z and Baby Boomers actually agree on this one.

Both generations were more likely to say people need to be more careful about what they say.

Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen X were more likely to think people are simply getting offended too easily.

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The poll also found 60% of Americans sometimes avoid saying what they actually believe because they're worried someone might find it offensive.

Which probably explains why family group chats now consist mainly of birthday wishes, dog pictures and someone typing, “Never mind… I’m not getting into it.”

There’s obviously a balance. Being considerate of other people is a good thing. But disagreeing with someone doesn't automatically mean you've offended them.

So where do you fall?

Are people too easily offended these days, or do we need to get better at thinking before we speak?