Some called the boys rude. Others blamed the older folks.

Netizens are divided by a viral video showing three schoolboys sitting on the floor in front of a 7-Eleven outlet at an MRT station speaking with several adults including a station staff member.

An elderly woman can be heard telling the boys: "You cannot dirty the place like that."

She said something about cooperating, to which one of the boys replied: "We are trying to co-operate..."

His voice rose to a scream as he said: "You understand!"

The station staff member tried to de-escalate the situation, but was interrupted by an elderly man who stepped forward and told the boy: "You're in the wrong, you know?"

The elderly man was joined by an elderly woman in a red T-shirt.

Another elderly woman, wearing a 7-Eleven shirt, then came out of the convenience store and asked the boys to stand up.

By the end of the video, the boys had been surrounded by the four elderly people and the station staff member.

The 63-second video was shared online on Feb 22 by Tiagong with the caption: "This ah boy so young so rude already ah."

Someone commented: "That boy screaming at an elderly person like that. I cannot take it."

But other netizens faulted how the grown-ups approached the boys.

One pointed out: "You have to see he screamed out his fear to how the ah ma talked and a few of them attacking them."

Another netizen said: "From this short video, I can only see that it was the old woman who started to trigger the anger. Those boys were just sitting there. I know old aunties. Some of them are so spiteful with their words, can make blood boil."

Someone else added: "Even the old man the same. Should shut their bloody mouth and not come lecture people on their own mindset."

Some felt sorry for the young ones.

"Pity the boys," said a netizen, "to experience this kind of unpleasant situation. The elderly have caused trauma to the boys. They will remember for life."

Another lamented: "How I wish I was there to tell all the elderly to back off. This is not the way to talk to children. I will buy these cute boys one round of ice-cream."

Stomp has contacted SMRT for more info.

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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.