Title: Study Reveals Top 20 Neighbourly Annoyances, While Online Communities Thrive on ‘Passive Aggressive’ Posts
Article: According to a study of 2,000 UK adults, the average person hasn’t spoken to their neighbour in three weeks, but millions find entertainment in ‘passive aggressive’ posts on community social media pages.
The research commissioned by mobile network giffgaff discovered that 56 percent of individuals in local online groups reported sniping and backbiting, with 34 percent considering it pure entertainment. Additionally, 47 percent shared outrageous or amusing posts with friends and family.
While nearly a third of adults (31 percent) are friends with their neighbours on Facebook, and 17 percent follow them on Instagram, one in 20 individuals admitted they couldn’t remember the last time they had a face-to-face conversation with their next-door neighbour.
Interestingly, when it comes to addressing common annoyances such as loud dogs, inappropriate parking, or rubbish, 18 percent of respondents found it easier or preferred to voice their thoughts online rather than discussing the matter with their neighbours in person.
Amira Mansour, a communications expert, commented on the research, saying, “It can be difficult to make time for our neighbours. The research found many don’t have close relationships with people in their local area, and this can lead to feelings of isolation. However, ironically, these people shouldn’t feel alone, as it seems there are millions in the same boat and there are ways that we can improve our communication with those in our community.”
Although 10 percent of respondents miss the community friendliness experienced during the UK’s lockdowns, one in five believes that community spirit is alive and well where they live. Additionally, 14 percent expressed a desire to be better friends with their neighbours, and over one in 10 expressed a desire to get to know their nearby residents better, despite being unsure how to initiate such connections.
Among the top annoyances reported by adults were inappropriate parking (24 percent), loud music (22 percent), and dogs barking loudly (21 percent). Other irritations included shouting, noisy children, and noisy house parties. Tidiness issues, such as a messy exterior or animal faeces left outside, also ranked high on the list.
Ash Schofield, CEO at giffgaff, expressed the desire to foster connections and create meaningful communities through connectivity. Schofield stated, “When we’re connecting well with our neighbours, we create closer, more meaningful communities that can do amazing things.”
Top 20 Neighbourly Annoyances:
- Inappropriate parking
- Loud music
- Dogs barking loudly
- Shouting
- Noisy children
- Noise from a house party
- Doors being slammed
- Loud TV
- Messy exterior appearance (e.g. not tidying up, leaving paint chipped, etc.)
- Animal faeces left outside
- Smoking
- Having a fire/BBQ
- Leaving the bins out/not putting them away
- Having to take their parcels in repeatedly
- Swearing loudly
- Littering
- Not giving you a heads up about construction work
- Having a bold-coloured front door
- Not holding a door open for you
- Not holding a lift for you
Amira’s Tips for Neighbourly Conversations:
- Small talk can be a good thing. Engage in daily interactions with neighbours to establish a rapport before addressing any issues. Ask questions and actively listen to their responses to create small talk.
- Keep it short. Be clear, concise, and on-topic when addressing concerns. Preparing what you want to say beforehand can boost your confidence in handling the situation.
- Stop focusing on being right. Try to understand their perspective and focus on finding a solution that works for everyone.
Sam Allcock is the CEO of PR FIRE – PR & Content Marketing Platform
Talks about #pr, #blogs, #marketing, #socialmedia, and #pressrelease
Writes for The Dial in his own time.
