I hear “No problem” far more often.
Interestingly, Tom Scott did a video about this a few years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGnH0KAXhCw
Interesting and mercifully short, just the way I like my explanatory videos. Thanks for sharing it!
Here’s a response I’ve seen about this around the net for a while now that feels right.
–
"Actually, the “you’re welcome/no problem” issue is simply a linguistics misunderstanding. Older ppl tend to say “you’re welcome,” younger ppl tend to say “no problem.” This is because for older people the act of helping or assisting someone is seen as a task that is not expected of them, but is them doing extra, so it’s them saying, ‘I accept your thanks because I know I deserve it.”
“No problem, however, is used because younger people feel not only that helping or assisting someone is a given and expected but also that it should be stressed that your need for help was no burden to them (even if it was).”
“Basically, older people think help is a gift you give, younger people think help is a requirement.”
calling it a “linguistics misunderstanding” makes it seem more scientific than it probably is. I’d like to see some evidence to back it up, because to me it just looks like some Tumblr user’s conjecture.
and yet the youngers are the “entitled generation”
That’s some stereotyping ageist bullshit.
To be fair, with no data to back it up, this is just an anecdote. So saying it’s stereotyping ageist bullshit is a perfectly valid response to it. I just felt it fit the question quite well so I went and dug it up and shared it. If you feel differently, no stress!
The reality is going to be different to everyone, and it’s as much a learned behaviour as anything else. It’s not like collectively an entire generation got together and decided “it’s ‘no problem’ now instead of ‘you’re welcome’, okay?” Language evolves over time after all, and knowing why that happens and the actual causes for it are something that will require a lot more analysis than a couple of anecdotes from the internet.
Yeah, sorry, I should add that I refer to the article, not your posting of it.
The meat of the thing is a rando reply to a tweet by a guy, not any research the guy did.
More of an observation on a generational shift. A culture change with a language change coming with it.
As a not-so-young-anymore young person, I’ve always said “no problem” for exactly this reason
It’s just a phatic expression. It’s largely a generational difference which one is considered the more polite one.
I think to a lot of younger people, “You’re Welcome” is the thing one older person insisted you say when you absolutely do not actually mean it. So younger people have found something else to say when they actually do mean it.
“You’re welcome” is a silly colonial affectation. In British English you just shut up and smile.
Stiff upper lip and all that.
Years ago, I had to do customer service training for a job, and one thing they said is to always say “you’re welcome” instead of “no problem”, because some people think “no problem” is rude. But I think it’s a generational thing, and it’s kind of the opposite with younger folks.
Nothing is worse than other options though like Chic fil a’s mandated “my pleasure”
When a chic-fil-a worker hits you with that, you gotta one-up them with “No! The pleasure is all mine!” and then hit the gas, peeling out cackling because you stole that pleasure motherfuckaaaaah.
(Or better, don’t go to chic-fil-a)
OH YEAH I"M GETTING PLEASURE TOO!
I told a bartender “oh, the pleasure was all ours!” one time just sort of joking around and he said “you have no idea how much”. I wasn’t really sure how to take that.
No worries.
All good
You got it.
This is my go to. Picked it up when I was in AUS for a while and it has never left my lexicon.
I think we collectively decided that “you’re welcome” doesn’t make sense. Welcome to what??
to impose on me duh
you’re whale cum
spoiler
asdfasdfsadfasfasdf
Implying that it was an effort, but you are welcome to it. Whereas “no problem” denotes that the effort is was not a problem for me to do. I use them interchangeably - “you’re welcome” as a response to a complement, or something where there was moderate effort put into the task; “no problem” when the task was low effort (“Thanks for responding to that email so quickly”) or I feel my effort was obliged (helping pick up after a meeting).
Actually “no problem” implies that the thing would normally be a problem, but that you are negating that.
It’s like saying “No visible bruising”. There’s the implication something happened that might have caused bruising.
Disagree, no problem is saying that what you are thanking me for was not a problem for me to do.
Honestly, I think this perception is the disconnect between millennials thinking it’s better and boomers thinking it’s rude - two different perspectives of what it means.
Also, don’t ackchyually me on an opinion.
Welcome to what??
Isn’t that obvious? You’re welcome to the thing you received. The thing you are thanking them for.
Maybe it’s “you are welcome (to ask me for help/favors, as I am neutral to the task. I might even enjoy it.)”
And “it’s not a problem (for me to do what you asked me to do; we have now both acknowledged that I have done something to help you that was not organic to me, but now we can move past it with no further conversation.)”
I bet “no problem” to some people is like seeing someone wear a T-shirt to church. They’d really prefer it if you would put on a suit and tie, even though the purpose of both are the same (cover my body when away from home because that is our current social agreement), because a T-shirt is disrespectful.
Also everyone sucks, it is a problem, and you are not welcome.
I had to do one communucation trainung where the trainer saud that saying “no problem” should not be used, because it implies there might’ve been a problem. I was not convinced though.
Wow. facepalm The words literally say there’s no problem, and yet it somehow implies there is a problem? Talk about overthinking what someone is saying.
This is why I often hate neurotypical communication styles. The world would be a lot more straightforward if people just said what they meant. Jesus fucking Christ on a motorbike…
It doesn’t imply that there is a problem. It implies that there would have been a problem, if it hadn’t been generously waived by the “no problem”.
… would be quite a sight to see. Although if He can do all those other miracles, I guess fucking Himself on a motorcycle wouldn’t be impossible. So I guess it’s just a straightforward statement on your part.
............I ship it.
Then why are people tripping about saying “you’re welcome”?
I’m sorry; what are you asking?
Then “your welcome” implies you might not be welcome. Seems like either both work or both are problematic, he can’t have it both ways.
Agreed. Might also be because “problem” is a word with negative conotation? Idk, I don’t see a problem (hah) myself
Someone said that to me just the other day! That saying “no problem” implies there might be a problem. Crazy. I’m thinking of switching to “well it was quite an imposition on my time and energy to help you out, especially given you’re not paying me, but I’ll let it slide this time because you seem like an ok person and I’m in a good mood” just to annoy them.
I doubt that would annoy them more than “no problem” since it is perfectly in line with what they think you’re saying by “no problem”.
I think a lot of younger generation, myself included, prefer casual responses, conflating professionalism with being rude, slimy, or otherwise malintentioned
I’ve been making an effort to use “happy to help” at work, instead of “no problem” because I was also informed it’s a generational thing.
Disclaimer: These are just my dumb thoughts with zero scientific evidence. Consider the opinion accordingly.
I think it’s tied to how overwhelmed everyone is at all times now. Part of it is often “thanks” is said while someone is beelining out the door, so you don’t often have an opportunity to even say “you’re welcome.” Further, “no problem” is far more indicative of “actually, you didn’t inconvenience me at all by getting my help” in a society where everyone is absolutely time-starved due to overwork/underpay. It’s saying to the person saying “thank you” that “it’s okay to have minorly inconvenienced me, it was worth doing anyway.”
Because yes, I am more likely to say “no problem” at this point than “you’re welcome” because most of the time I am dispensing technical information and advice that people usually have to pay to get. That’s the other aspect of it too, we’ve normalized that you have to pay to get anything decent (service or product) and so people offering technical skills and advice outside of a payment plan is definitely viewed differently.
“You’re welcome” is valid but just doesn’t play well in a fast-paced society where everyone expects to have to pay through the nose for decent help and generally doesn’t have the time to give out those kind of favors themselves.
I read somewhere a few years ago that the decline of “you’re welcome” is due to a shifting in definitions or whatever- “you’re welcome” has come to mean “you are always welcome to my free labor” whereas “no problem” says something more like “I don’t have an issue spending my time on you.”
Hey do you guys know what “you’re welcome” is in Spanish? “De Nada” which means “of nothing”. Sounds almost like, “no problem”.
This phrase isn’t new, either. It’s been around for centuries, just like the first instances of “you’re welcome”.
Language changes over time, and that’s the new etiquette. Though No Problem tends to feel less compulsory to me and so I feel more genuine saying it. Enjoy the world as it changes, because it’ll change just as much if you don’t enjoy it
I see “no problem” as nicer. If I say that, I’m expressing that I really don’t mind, and there’s no need to thank me. No problem, as in I had no problem with doing this thing
“You’re welcome” feels more like “I appreciate you thanking me, because I went out of my way to do this”, if that makes any sense
Except “no problem” traditionally means “no problem [despite this situation containing a likely problem]”.
It means the person being thanked has gone outside their set of responsibilities to help you.
Like “Thanks for letting us borrow your spare tire so we could get our car back to town” -> “no problem”.
Here the other person had no responsibility to help with the others’ flat tire, much less lend out a piece of their own safety equipment.
“You’re welcome” is the one which means “It is perfectly expected in our current roles that I would have provided this”.
And I see it totally opposite. Interesting.
Also, can you cite this “traditionally” you reference?
I go to DMV. “You need a number to be in this line”. “My mistake. Where do I get this number?” “Over there.” “Oh, I see, thank you.” “You’re welcome.”
Wow, because the DMV uses it? Thanks for the source! Wait, I’ve heard a person at the DMV say “no problem” before…
Also, I was asking the original commenter about the “traditional” use of “no problem”.
I usually like to run away when someone says “thanks!”
I like a hearty “No, thank YOU!” and let the feedback loop begin.
you can say “you’re welcome”, its no problem
you can also say “no problem”
hope this helps, you’re welcome
Most languages respond something like “it’s nothing”, de nada. English is a little weird saying “welcome”.
Thai/Lao is ไม่เป็นไร/ບໍ່ເປັນຫຍັງ translated as (implied subject “it”) + negation marker + copula + anything or “it’s nothing”
Well, in German we say “bitte” or “gern geschehen”, which is close to the “welcome”. Of course, people can and do also say “kein Problem”. I guess in my experience it depends on how I feel about the task and the person I did it for.
I don’t say it because you are, in fact, not welcome. I finish interactions with customers, even when they say thank you to me, by saying “thank you, have a nice day”, as my non fireable version of “I’ll thank you to kindly fuck off now.”
Damn it must suck to hate your customers
You say, as if that sentiment isn’t nearly universal.
