I think 'The Facebook Generation' (I am 31 myself and not a member of Facebook - but it is a useful shorthand) are really quite radical.
It might be a mistake to read too much in to one's own circumstances. But I feel with the invention of the internet - people no longer care about status goods.
There is so much fun to be had from chilling out and enjoying life. That the idea of working long hours just to have a nicer car and a better house than your friends is now seen as passe.
I live in the UK - so I am not sure if this way of thinking has entered the US. But I am convinced the young people of today have radically different priorites and desires than those of previous generations.
Indeed - alot of the 'hippy/idealistic' thinking of the late 60's is more of a reality now than ever before.
To put it bluntly. In alot of social circles I see - only 'losers' care anymore about making lots of monet just so they can be admired for their wealth and success. That way of thinking now seems outdated.
We seem to be on the edge of a post-materialistic age. And I think future historians will look back on this period as being a radical time. Almost the start of Capitalism 3.0 (with the first two stages being the industrial revolution and the mass consumer revolution).
I think it is pretty fun that this way of thinking is taking off. For me - I have no higher desires than a roof above my head, some books and some nice food. Everything else is ultimately just a tool to try and impress somebody else.
I would be interested if others have come across this way of thinking? It seems to be creeping into the mainstream media. But I still feel it is little reported:
http://theumlaut.com/2013/04/01/keynes-was-right/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/busine...d=all&_r=0
Alot of this links into MGTOW (Men Going There Own Way). Since most status goods that men kill themselves trying to buy are ultimately for the benefit of impressing the wimminz. I also feel the success of The Four Hour Work-Week was an indicator of a wider desire for downsizing.
Once you lose that - you lose much of your motivation to earn more.
To quote Aristotle Onassis - "If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning."
The concept of Conspicuous Consumption is an interesting one. And Thornstein Veblen wrote a brilliant book discussing it a hundred years ago.
And what is interesting is that previous ideas of conspicuous consumption were based around being men of leisure (which is why the fad for gardening and country sports took off). And I feel in this new age of capitalism - people now base their self-worth on working smart rather than working hard. Particularly if those working hard are just purchasing the goods which they have being brainwashed into buying.
In terms of capitalism. It can be thought of as taking The Red Pill...
It might be a mistake to read too much in to one's own circumstances. But I feel with the invention of the internet - people no longer care about status goods.
There is so much fun to be had from chilling out and enjoying life. That the idea of working long hours just to have a nicer car and a better house than your friends is now seen as passe.
I live in the UK - so I am not sure if this way of thinking has entered the US. But I am convinced the young people of today have radically different priorites and desires than those of previous generations.
Indeed - alot of the 'hippy/idealistic' thinking of the late 60's is more of a reality now than ever before.
To put it bluntly. In alot of social circles I see - only 'losers' care anymore about making lots of monet just so they can be admired for their wealth and success. That way of thinking now seems outdated.
We seem to be on the edge of a post-materialistic age. And I think future historians will look back on this period as being a radical time. Almost the start of Capitalism 3.0 (with the first two stages being the industrial revolution and the mass consumer revolution).
I think it is pretty fun that this way of thinking is taking off. For me - I have no higher desires than a roof above my head, some books and some nice food. Everything else is ultimately just a tool to try and impress somebody else.
I would be interested if others have come across this way of thinking? It seems to be creeping into the mainstream media. But I still feel it is little reported:
http://theumlaut.com/2013/04/01/keynes-was-right/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/busine...d=all&_r=0
Alot of this links into MGTOW (Men Going There Own Way). Since most status goods that men kill themselves trying to buy are ultimately for the benefit of impressing the wimminz. I also feel the success of The Four Hour Work-Week was an indicator of a wider desire for downsizing.
Once you lose that - you lose much of your motivation to earn more.
To quote Aristotle Onassis - "If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning."
The concept of Conspicuous Consumption is an interesting one. And Thornstein Veblen wrote a brilliant book discussing it a hundred years ago.
And what is interesting is that previous ideas of conspicuous consumption were based around being men of leisure (which is why the fad for gardening and country sports took off). And I feel in this new age of capitalism - people now base their self-worth on working smart rather than working hard. Particularly if those working hard are just purchasing the goods which they have being brainwashed into buying.
In terms of capitalism. It can be thought of as taking The Red Pill...