Young people don’t always have it easy. They cannot afford their own home and the unlucky generation has had to borrow a lot of money for their studies. When you hear statements on social media such as “I was a millionaire at the age of 17” or “I earn 100,000 euros a month”, it is difficult for some to resist. “If it seems too good to be true, then it often is,” warns Emma Stuifzand of the youth communications agency ‘Young and you want something’ in Eindhoven.
Getting rich quick, wearing designer clothes or buying your own house, who doesn’t dream of that? If social media is to be believed, the opportunities are there for the taking. In practice, there are often a number of snags.
“Many young people have difficulty with their future prospects,” says Emma Stuifzand in Money Week. “This is due, for example, to the housing market and study costs. Nowadays, many young people want to earn a lot of money quickly and easily for their future. When statements come up on social media such as ‘I was already a millionaire at the age of 17’ or ‘I earn 100,000 euros per month ‘, then it is difficult to resist,” says Emma Stuifzand.
Pyramid scheme
“Some young people want to maintain a certain status, for example by wearing branded clothing that they come across on social media. They often cannot afford it. It then has to be paid for in installments or with post-payment, which can cause them to get into debt.”
Influencers on social media often paint an unrealistic picture of reality. “They pretend to be young entrepreneurs and try to get young people to invest money with inspiring texts. These participants must then also interest other young people in investing. In reality, they are participating in a pyramid scheme. That yields nothing except for the person at the top of the pyramid. It is illegal, but young people sometimes don’t realize that.”
There are also courses to become rich or start your own profitable business. “Many young people go along with this and try to interest others by selling these courses.” But those courses cost a lot of money.
Sense of reality
Do current generations lack a sense of reality? “The danger with social media is that many people pass by who are rich. On social media you hardly see people who have a nine-to-five job. You see millionaires passing by and you want to be among them. Young people therefore want to earn money quickly. and you really can’t achieve that with a minimum wage at the supermarket.”
Moreover, it is not easy to become a millionaire. “In practice, you have to work hard for that. Then you may have to go to school and get a diploma, so that you have more chances of getting a good job.”
Stuifzand wants to protect young people against temptations on social media by informing them well: “If an offer seems too good to be true, then it usually is. You have to give young people a realistic picture: that’s how life can be and You can also make ends meet with this salary. Then you look at student debt differently.”
Arjen Lubach recently paid attention to this subject: