In the U.S., I most frequently read about this with parents who take their children into shared public spaces and feel that everyone ought to accommodate their children (and their poor behavior) at the expense of their own enjoyment of the situation. In Japan, I most frequently witness it on the streets with people who glue their eyes to their phones or dreamily wander around oblivious to their surroundings.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe this can improve unless there is a serious movement toward courtesy and, at least in the U.S., courtesy is seen as something which is associated with being somehow lacking in confidence. In the states, it all seems to be about money. If you have enough money, you can act badly and people will have to be nice to you. I blame Paris Hilton for the further degradation of society in this regard. ;-)