Right before our eyes, the world is changing around us. With each passing day, technology advances, and for some of us, so does our wealth.
How does it affect us as human beings? Does it change who we are?
Over the years, psychological research has shown us that the compassion for our brothers and sisters in life has been taking a downward spiral. Wealth and social media have caused us to lose our humanity for others and have made us selfish.
To make a positive effect on the world, we all must maintain our empathy. Empathy leads us to trust, love, rise against hate, and most importantly, make us happier individuals.
Since the invention of social media platforms, many things have changed. So many people are looking for the next big thing, thus looking for the ultimate achievement of attention. With that, they will stop at no cost to achieve such temporary rewards.
In this era, men and women alike, use the media to promote themselves with trendy status messages, and consistent selfies. All of this is provided for a group of friends that for the most part, we have probably never met in our lives.
Popular trends that arose from the internet changed our world. Women have started to dress half-nude because the world has given them the standard that showing off their bodies and leaving no mystery is sexy. Men are flashing their cars and money promoting their own self-value.
People have become bold. We no longer have to endure face-to-face interactions, so we can become something we are not. Every day we see live acts of violence, aggression, terrorism, and hate. What is bad about this is that we believe now that it’s normal. We have become desensitized and our minds have become attuned to such madness.
Family meetings have now turned into a group of people holding their devices around the dinner table. They have become brainwashed to the social world where they can be someone they are not and hide behind an innocent mask. What has happened to our humanity!?
A study by Paul K. Piff from UC Berkeley has shown us that wealth leads to being narcissistic. His research has concluded that a high social class is likely to behave unethically, and not likely to donate to charities.
Piff states,
“The more money you have, the higher in status you are, the less threatening the world is to you. You can pay rent or own a home, you can be late to work without losing your month’s income, and your neighborhood’s safer.”
In theory, having these things defines that you don’t rely on people as much, which leads to the lack of feeling that you owe anything to anyone. So this is the reason why wealthy people exhibit less compassion toward their less rich peers and are more prone to unethical behavior.
We are all a part of this world, and we have to play our parts. Why not make it a better world where we care for and love our brothers and sisters? Wealth or social status should play no part in how we treat people or how we conduct ourselves.