Is Envy the Most Contagious Disease of Our Time?

In an era of viral TikToks and "reality" media, our perception of wealth and inequality has become increasingly warped.

But here's a provocative question:

Is our perception of inequality growing faster than inequality itself? And has social media, perhaps even more than income inequality, occasioned a pandemic of envy?

Let's explore this idea...

Historically, the poor were only vaguely aware of the ultra-wealthy, their experience largely limited to those in their immediate vicinity. A medieval peasant might only see wealth in the local lord's castle, if at all. A 19th-century factory worker might glimpse the owner's mansion from afar.

Even in the mid-20th century, the lifestyles of the rich seemed comically alien to average Americans, as evidenced by the popularity of shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Green Acres," which portrayed wealthy characters as fish out of water among "regular" folk.

Later, Robin Leach's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" offered tantalizing glimpses into celebrity opulence, but these remained distant, almost fantastical images for most viewers.

This disconnect persisted into the early 2000s with shows like "The Simple Life," featuring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie – wealthy socialites comically struggling with everyday tasks and jobs. These portrayals, while entertaining, still maintained a clear separation between the wealthy elite and the average viewer. They were less about envy and alienation, more about how out of touch the wealthy were with "real life."

Today, however, we're all inundated with global displays of opulence. A teenager in small town USA can watch YouTube videos of Dubai's gold-plated cars or scroll through Instagram photos of celebrities' private island vacations. A minimum-wage worker can use TikTok to tour multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills mansions or travel along on a super-yacht.

This dramatic increase in our exposure to wealth from around the world brings new challenges. We're learning how to distinguish between different levels of economic challenges and outsized aspiration. After all, there's a world of difference between struggling to survive...and driving a perfectly serviceable Honda while coveting a Maybach.

Make no mistake: Extreme poverty remains a dire situation requiring urgent action. That said, encouragingly, global extreme poverty actually has decreased significantly in recent decades.

This positive global trend coexists with a troubling reality in many developed nations: younger generations are less likely to surpass their parents economically. This generational decline in prospects underlies much of the current discourse on inequality.

Perhaps what we're witnessing could be described as a "pandemic of envy." Many people in developed countries whose basic needs are more than being met are nonetheless unhappy, constantly comparing themselves to those who have "more" – a phenomenon amplified by social media's aforementioned relentless, curated displays of luxury.

The actual "numbers" tell an intriguing story that highlights the disconnect between economic reality and our perception of it. The Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents maximum inequality, has slightly decreased globally in recent years.

Nonetheless, in the U.S., the income share of the top 1% has doubled since 1980. As they say, "the rich are getting richer."

Meanwhile, social media usage has exploded to more than 4.5 billion users worldwide. This suggests that while global inequality may be improving slightly, our exposure to extreme wealth through social media is growing exponentially, potentially amplifying our perception of economic disparities.

This disconnect — between gradual economic shifts and rapidly changing media landscapes — is reshaping our understanding of our societal position. The constant exposure to aspirational content is distorting our perception of economic reality more than reflecting it.

Nonetheless, a recent personal experience gave me hope. Sitting at my coffee shop, watching onlookers laugh at an ostentatious Tesla Cybertruck, rather than admire it, suggested a growing skepticism towards flashy displays of wealth. Perhaps we need more of this – more laughing at the excesses of the uber-rich rather than celebrating or envying them.

Navigating these issues isn't easy, but keeping perspective is key. We can't ignore real poverty, nor can we dismiss the psychological toll of feeling left behind in a world of apparent abundance.

At the same time, we need to challenge our obsession with material success and break free from the cycle of constant comparison to the ultra-wealthy. Maybe it's time we shifted our focus – away from chasing opulence and towards pursuing genuine fulfillment and meaning.

After all, isn't a life rich in purpose more valuable than a garage full of luxury cars?