2024 is already halfway through, so let's take a look at the current economic situation. The global economy is facing many challenges, including slow growth, high inflation, and high interest rates. The road to economic recovery is faltering, and uncertainty remains high. People's wallets are becoming increasingly dwindling, and the pressure of life continues to increase. Some unusual phenomena have repeatedly emerged in society. As the saying goes, there must be a reason for abnormal things. Today, let's take a deeper look.
First, the strange phenomenon in the real estate sector.
Housing prices have always been a major pain point for ordinary people in my country. Ordinary people cannot afford to buy houses, while rich people can invest in one house after another. The crazy rise in housing prices has made it increasingly difficult for ordinary people to afford them, while rich people have become richer with real estate. Many working-class families can only sigh in despair at the houses, full of anxiety but helpless. Due to various practical factors, more and more ordinary people have to force themselves to bear heavy mortgages, which is like a mountain of pressure. In fact, the real estate market hides huge risks of over-investment and bubble economy. We can see that in recent times, housing prices in many cities are still high, while the purchasing power of ordinary people is declining. People have begun to wait and see about buying houses. Let us wait and see where the future trend of real estate will go.
Second, the cost of living continues to rise, while wages have not increased at all.
In the past, a 100-yuan bill could buy a large bag of items for a trip to the supermarket, but now, after careful calculation, just a few necessities of life will cost hundreds of yuan. The intuitive feeling is that consumption has been downgraded again and again, but the numbers in the bank card have been rapidly reduced like a flood. The cost of daily life is increasing day by day, but the salary in hand has always remained stagnant. This is a heartbreaking phenomenon that many working-class people have to face. Moreover, this phenomenon continues to worsen, and the gap between income and expenditure is getting wider and wider. It is really difficult for ordinary families to cope with it. They either face the cruel reality of a sharp decline in the quality of life, or they can only work hard to make money.
Third, the phenomenon of “fake wealth” is rampant on social media.
Social media is booming and we are witnessing more and more people showing off their extravagant lifestyles. When scrolling through social media, everything you see is the glamor of others, but little do you know that this is actually just a phenomenon of "fake wealth." The false display of life conceals the real difficulties and hardships, and at the same time disrupts the value orientation of the entire society. The vanity displayed on social media reflects the uneasiness of real society. When you frequently see these social media contents, you will only feel anxious and lonely. This is by no means a normal social phenomenon. What’s more, some people fall into debt in order to pursue this kind of vanity, which is really not worth the gain.
Fourth, luxury goods have seen an abnormal, counter-growth consumption pattern.
According to relevant data, the luxury goods market in recent years has gone against the economic situation and achieved negative growth. This phenomenon cannot but cause us to reflect deeply. The economy has already gone down, but there are still people willing to spend generously on expensive luxury goods. Is it the normal consumption of the high-income class that drives the industry growth? Or are more and more people overdrawing their credit cards for overload consumption? Or is it both? It is unquestionable that people with ability buy luxury goods, but the phenomenon of overall growth in the luxury goods industry also makes us reflect on whether the gap between the rich and the poor behind it is becoming increasingly prominent. And those who over-consume buy luxury goods to satisfy their vanity? To relieve stress and anxiety? Or is it out of normal needs? This forces us to start paying attention to the common psychological problems hidden behind it, especially those that may involve the youth consumer group.
As ordinary people, how should we face and solve these abnormal phenomena? Personally, I think that when you notice these abnormal phenomena, it means that you are more awakened than many people. These common phenomena that arise in the social environment are difficult for ordinary people like you and me to control. But we are not without solutions. The most important thing is to stick to our original intentions, not be coerced by the secular world and give in, and firmly guard the principles in our hearts. On this basis, actively explore corresponding solutions. I believe that starting from you and me, these social chaos will one day have nowhere to hide.
