The Age of Entitlement

Why we life in an age of entitlement and how it changed us.

What can I say, I’m 33 years old…

I have seen a thing or two. Chernobyl happened just a handful of days after I was born. Rockstars permed their hair more often than my Grandmother at the time. I was a baby at a time when Dirty Dancing went the non-Internet Version of “viral”. Aids had become this new terrifying disease on the horizon. It was a different time and yet, on looking back it was always a time of turmoil. During my 33 years, wars broke out, terror attacks became a terrifying reality in all our lives. The internet started, fast-food became the new go-to and fast fashion seems to be the new downfall of our generation.

Influencers, Content Creators, Bloggers whatever you may call them…

This Blog has not existed for 10+ years. I have not the experience other big names in this industry have under their belts. But I do know a thing or two about this industry regardless. If you work hard you can earn a lot of money, big brands will seek you out for work. What most people don’t see, being a Content Creator (the term I prefer) means you must work the extra mile. Especially since you yourself are basically your only way to earn a living. Many creators work 7 days a week and not the 9to5 but more like the 6to-lets-hope-I-get-in-bed-before-the-next-day-begins….

“I have decided to stick with love. Because Hate is to great a burden to bear.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Entitlement

With the creation of content, you inevitable get hate as well. The difference in our day and age is, that content creators don’t hide their lives, because its often an integral part of their business. Yes, I called it business because that’s what it is. Sounds dirty but it isn’t. There are some big names in the industry that have made millions off their followers/subscribers etc. Others have started their own product lines so on and so forth. But lately, the sad truth is – as much as people want to see into these lives, as much they seem to hate these people for the lives, they have worked so hard for.

Over the last 3 years, I have noticed an increasingly sad reality of people getting more and more angry at Content Creators for their lifestyles. Everyone has turned critic these days. If someone shows their bag collection on YouTube, the comment section gets overtaken by people essentially blaming that very person for the Climate Change. Why is a person creating (non-vegan) food content suddenly the Antichrist set out to destroy all of humanity with their meat and dairy consumption?

Why is there this increasingly growing Social Media Police Force of people telling other people what they are doing wrong or why he/she is the reason the world is literally burning. How come that suddenly millions of people are out for the blood of others?

My own backstory…

I grew up at the very end tale end of society. Growing up with 4 siblings in a divorced-single-Mom-household with little to no money between the 5 of us was not easy. We grew up eating meat, dairy and yes, even the occasional french-fries (we are not talking eating out at McDonalds here, we are talking deep fryer at home) as a treat. My Ma made the most out of the little she had.

We ALWAYS recycled, there was never a time in my life where I don’t remember that happening. I started using cloth shopping bags or my Backpack very early in my life (around the age of 15 or so when I started to do the weekly grocery shop). At 13, I declared myself vegetarian after HATING the taste of ANY kind of meat all my life and always shoved the little meat we had (mostly on Sundays) onto any of my sibling’s plates. I grew up with a deep love for milk but it tuns out dairy  makes me incredibly ill, so I rarely have dairy products anymore these days.

I’m not vegan, I do eat fish – well tuna that is, as it is a big source of omega3 fats and protein in my diet. I’m not perfect – I’m so far from perfect that I’m sure to never even get into its vicinity.

I don’t own a car, never have never will be (I didn’t grow up in a household with a car either) – I either walk or use public transportation if need be.

For years I try to shop consciously and only if I truly need something. Would I prefer to only buy from the ethically producing sellers with high quality product? Oh sure. I would love to be able to buy for example Stella McCartney, but the truth is I can’t afford a wardrobe full of ethically and environmentally conscious brands.

Most of my wardrobe is H&M. I love H&M and I say it knowing that they seem to have been made into the fast fashion devil of the clothing industry. They produce cloths that not only fit me better than any other brand in that price range, but they speak to my fashion sense.

So, I ask you, am I the Antiracist? Am I the reason why the climate is changing? Is my lifestyle solely responsible for every landfill out there?

Let me be forward and give you the answer – NO! I’m neither the Antichrist. Nor the sole reason for the Climate Change and neither are YOU nor any other one person out there because WE ARE ALL IN THIS MESS TOGETHER. Throwing blame around like confetti is not the answer nor will it help anyone. Not one of us is perfect we all make mistakes.

“If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn’t part of ourselves doesn’t disturb us.”

Hermann Hesse

A Conscious Mind

Is there even time left for change? I’m not a scientist, I have no other stats that the ones available on the internet. However, I do honestly believe, if all of us try to change just a little we can make a difference. For the meat-enthusiasts, maybe try and reduce your intake to 4x a week instead of daily. If you eat a lot of dairy product, try dairy free alternatives maybe you will end up liking the things you try. If you like fashion as much as me, then start evaluating your wardrobe and see what is missing and buy only if truly needed. Start recycling and don’t worry if you are not doing it perfectly.

But most of all, let’s stop the hate. Because like H. E. Fosdick said, “Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat.”

THE QUEEN OF SELF DOUBT