Living a life that one can’t afford is now common practice everywhere. Social media is one of the key contributors to this. You will see people flashing their expensive wristwatches, cars, shoes in different videos and pictures. So many youths with no valid proof of where they earn their money live flashy life on social media but in reality, they have next to nothing. People who live above their means are only costing themselves their peace.
The slang in the street now is to fake it until you get it. If your friend has a car, you can snap pictures with it, do some editing and post online as yours. There is no extent people don’t go to just to live a life that isn’t theirs. I’ve heard about ladies that go to expensive restaurants with their bags filled with different clothes. They go into the restroom and change into different cloth just to snap pictures to post online. People rent aeroplanes at a cheap price to snap. They go in with their wine glass and cheap wine, pretend to be a passenger and snap pictures. All these in an empty plane with no pilot.
There are different reasons why people pretend to be what they are not:-
It is needed in life
Some groups will argue that living a life bigger than what you can afford is needed in life. After all, it’s how you present yourself that will determine how you will be addressed. For example, before some clients can give out their project to you, they’ll try to access you. Know your financial standing and get the assurance that you can deliver their job to them without running away with the money. That's why you see people rent cars to go seal a contract. This is something common in this part of the world, but packaging oneself as a form of business is quite different from living a fake life. Don't mix it up.
Peer pressure
Many are pushed into living a flashy life they can’t afford due to things their friends are doing. When one of their friends post something or a celeb post something radiant online they try all their means to also get it.
Before taking any decision to imitate anyone, one of the things you should consider are
1. Earnings
How much are you earning compared to the other person?. You can’t expect someone earning $2000 per month to live the way you- earning $100 per month is living. If you try to compare yourself to such a person, you will end up getting your knees deep in debt and might even push yourself to an early grave.
2. Is it needed?
You might be working at the same place another person, earn the same salary but your needs are different. Mr B might live miles away from the office and need a car to aid his movement to and fro every day to save cost and also reduce stress. While for you whose house is just a stone throw from the office, getting a car might be unreasonable. Though everyone wants a life of luxury but before you buy something try to access it, weigh your options. Ask yourself, will this be a liability to me or will it make things easier for me.
3. Responsibilities are different
The responsibilities of each person are different. You might have your family depending on you, your siblings in school constantly calling for one help or the other, your parents might be your responsibility, while that your friend that posts different flashy things online might have no one depending on him. Imitate him to your own detriment.
I once saw an advert of two friends working in the same office, one lives in a single room apartment, lives a moderate life, club once in a while with friends, while the other has a car, rented a 3 bedroom apartments with a high fee, party and club every day. Every day on his way to the office he branches at the former’s house and takes him to work in his car. They work at the same place and probably earn the same amount of money.
One day he went to his house as was his usual practice to take him to work, on entering the car, the other friend gave him an IV to his house warming party. He was shocked to hear that his friend now owns a house, while he doesn’t even have a piece of land. I’m sure all this while, people must have been calling the friend with no car names, but he was focused before he has higher plans and responsibilities.
In conclusion never let social media or peer pressure push you into living beyond your means, if you do you will end up regretting your actions a few years down the lane. Do not spend more than you earn. And remember, not all you see on social media is real.
Thanks for Reading!🚔💚💰
I just don't really know how happy they are doing that things. But there are really lots of people who are fake or pretenders not only in person but more so in social media. Pretending to be trustworthy in social media but are scammers. It seems pretending these days are trending in social media , for the sake of fame and money.