Why Our Economy Continues To Fail?
The truth is we are not running the best way right now, and this is why.
In basic economics, one of the first things we learn is the concept of opportunity cost and scarcity. In both of these conversations, we talk about the reality that time is the most valuable resource and limited resource available to us, yet we live in a society that continues to value money over everything.
With a society that continues to value money, that is limited to some individuals, but overall, unlimited, we see a country that is continuing to make all of their decisions based upon what they can buy and receive with a paycheck. Rather how their time can be allocated to help themselves long term. When we think about money, we think about music videos, social media, and artist like Cardi B.
In Cardi B music video, she suggest that all she truly cares about is money, and her paychecks. She also discusses that being a “bad bitch” means you need to take care of your money as well as have and maintain it. Also talks about her life being a stripper, shaking her body parts, and then getting money and taking it to the store or the bank. Cardi discusses things that she needs that ranges from luxurious boats to basic necessities for her well being.
This media cultured that consistently teaches youth, young adults, and adults about this idea that having money, spending it on luxurious products and services, such as cars, and experiences, is the goal. That enables people to spend so much of their time “hustling” to achieve this, yet fail to feel satisfied with the success they embark after. It allows these businesses that market to help promote and advertise to this idea, draw a large amount of consumers daily.
After the creation of platforms like MySpace in 2003, individuals showcasing their purchases online, ended up becoming the new ideal that made you “cool,” and then slowly with the creation of platforms like YouTube in 2008, the process of getting to that level, “the hustle,” became the new it. Forcing individuals feeling they needed to acquire the ability of being apart of that space, in order to live a successful lifestyle.
The reality is a successful lifestyle has been redefined as one fit for all wardrobe. The truth is, it’s not. The victims that fall in that line, end up victims of mental illness, and depression, sometimes leading to acts of suicide or self harm like drugs and addiction. Which we have seen in many artist over the last two decades, artist like Kate Spade and Mac Miller reach to these heights. Individuals we have discus about on our podcast. Check out: RIP Mac Miller (Exclusive Pod.) In Mac Miller last album, Swimming, he talks a lot about his Depression, and the culture of the environment that he participates in. Especially in his song called, Conversations Pt. 1:
As shown in the song above by Mac Miller, coming into a passion for music was personal to him in his basement. Although as he progressed in his music, he started to become accepted by the mass media. In the mass media, he realized the individuals that surrounded him wasn’t embarking music for the love of music, but the opportunities music had to be the concept of successful. He didn’t see many people who had the same passion and drive as him. He entered a rare pathway in his industry. Where a lot of people were altering to hardcore drugs and this idea of getting high, rather than talking from their heart. The music industry started to lack providing a conversation to their audience, which needed to be addressed as a conversation.
In Mark Manson’s novel, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A Fuck, he discusses about the value of time, with both historical, and real world experiences story lines. We had to go through this faze in our lifetime where we valued money, we had to have these individuals get into addictions, and leave this world in their bodies, so we could understand that propaganda is not just in the Newspapers. They exist in businesses to favor individuals to spend money to enter into a position, that will make them money, but for you to waste the most important and limited resource we all have, time.
If our millennial generation are not thinking about how they can enter a profitable music industry like R&B, Rap, Hip Hop, or even Pop, they are thinking about the most implemented and forced expectation their is, education. Education is the key to success, if, you are learning about how our country and society works, and if, the thing you love to do and wants to peruse requires it. As we exit this time of pushing people to go to the money, and pushing individuals to achieve what they love to do, we enter into another problem. A lot of the younger population has had their views so influenced by the world around them, that they find themselves too insecure to do what they love, if that means they are giving up who they could be.
Gary Vee, an entrepreneur and advocate to young people in this department consistently discusses on his social media outlets, about these conversations. He also discusses this idea that “hustling” and the concept of it has become “cool,” but the definition of “hustling” has altered in this new era. That “hustling” does not mean giving every awakening minute to doing pointless acts to seem “cool” and as if you are doing something. It means allocating your time correctly in order to achieve the important things you need to do, to invest to a place you can be in the future.
Although these investments of time, can be placed when we talk and discuss about money. Recently in the news, two large companies, Gucci and Prada, have been receiving large press attention due to releasing two products that were considered to be an example of “Blackface.” In result, to these businesses working with rappers like Bhad Bhabbie, Migos, Gucci Mane, Lil Yachty, and many more, and YouTubers like Jeffrey Star, Shane Dawson & Ryland Adams, Trisha Peytas, and etc. products like Gucci and Prada has been considered a luxurious desired brand materials to own. When brands, celebrities, and influencers use their platforms to advertise to young people whom are not taught to research the values of companies before purchasing their products, it causes for millions of people to cast their vote to the beliefs and values these companies have. Allowing them to hire more employees, own more stores, and be in control of the economic well being of our society. Valuing at the most important vote, we make every single day.
Incidents like blackface bring light to this issue, at too late of a time. Where these products still have the power after all of these years of business revenues, and gain of propaganda, that the African American and people of color community has enabled for their own personal benefit. Suggesting these individuals have valued money at such a high expense that just getting a brand deal with a company that can pay them a high value, rather than seeing if their values align with the company values, at the most important time, doesn’t occur. When companies after decades of being able to market off of their platforms then exist, and the company does racial discrimination with their products, it’s easy to protest, but it’s harder to question whether the platforms that we follow truly have our best interest at heart. Especially the People of Color artist that have made it into their industries.
For example, we can suggest an individual like Cardi B, has her best interest at heart. Although when she is teaching her mainly people of color audience platform to go after the money, when that has proven to be one reason why celebrities struggle with addiction and suicide, does that still make her intentions good? When celebrities then come together after to boycott companies, are they influenced their products on their fan base, are they doing it because they truly feel the need, or because they know their audience would be lost if they didn’t?
Regardless, how we spend our time, is a big investment. If we decided to spend three hours of our time to listen to our favorite artist, we are increasing their personal statistics. Once their personal statistics get high enough, they start to be paid by sponsors so the companies can market to their audience in return for money. Making sure you provide people whom have your best interest at heart, and making those creators larger, help to prevent the wrong companies to become powerful. Making sure you purchase products and services that celebrate the same values and beliefs is important, so when they become larger, and have more individuals depend on them for an income, that it impacts our economics in a positive way.
Overall, our economy continues to fail because of this system. People are motivated to do what they think they should want by influence by everyone, rather than doing what they love. They get caught worrying about an unlimited resource such as money, that they waste their limited source time. By the time people may come to terms with this, they might be half way through life, or almost full it. As individuals continue to chase the idea of being successful, the businesses in them, will continue to succeed, and the 99% will continue to fall short.
Life is all about love. So find something you love. Work on it everyday, soon you will master it. Allocate your time to do things you love. When you’re not doing that allocate your time to things that you love, whether it be your favorite music, with artist that has your intentions, or shows from companies that understand your values. You can make your life into anything you want it to, and when we don’t teach that, we allow the people who decided to make their life into controlling you succeed. You have to know you got this!
