Just because someone looks wealthy, it doesn’t mean that they are. The luxurious lifestyle they lead might be nothing more than a smokescreen, meant to trick others on social media.
TikToker Midiforreal created a video about this phenomenon in Shanghai. She detailed how a guy went undercover into a WeChat group for a couple of weeks and discovered what these alleged ‘Bai Fu Mei’ (“rich and pretty girls,” according to the video creator) were really talking about.
As it turns out, they were discussing ways to appear rich, like Bai Fu Mei, without having to spend a fortune. It all comes down to sharing everything… but we don’t want to spoil too much for you. You’ll find Midiforreal’s full video below, dear Pandas!
Bored Panda got in touch with Midiforreal. She told me that the phenomenon of women pretending that they're rich can be found more often in societies that put a heavy emphasis on the importance of social status. "I would say this phenomenon may be more common in a society that is more judgemental based on ppl’s social status," she said. Scroll down to read more of Midiforreal's thoughts and to learn about how she got started on TikTok.
TikToker Midiforreal explained exactly how some influencers in China pretend to be rich to raise their social status
I was interested to know what it would take to encourage people to become more genuine on social media. However, Midiforreal told Bored Panda that "we cannot force people to be real on social media," as "they have a right to be what they want to be."
She added: "When there are willing sellers, there are willing buyers."
The content creator also shared how she started making videos on TikTok. "I started making TikTok videos because I want to promote my photography business. But in the end, I realized people are more interested in China content. Although these things are quite common to me, some people were still surprised. And also the content about China is what I’m interested in, so I just keep on going."
In the video, Midiforreal says that the main motivation for women to pretend to be rich is to “increase their social status in order to find a rich husband.” The TikToker pointed out that she believes that showing off is perfectly fine; however, she considers pretending to have what you don’t to be immoral and “cheating.”
The moral of the story here is simple. Midiforreal suggests that people should be genuine and, if they truly want to be rich, should earn it, instead of relying on illusions of grandeur. However, many TikTok users were quite impressed by what these women have been doing. But what do you think, dear Pandas?
This is yet more proof to take everything that you see on social media with a grain of salt. If you ever feel a smidge of jealousy when scrolling through your feed because you happen to come across someone posing in front of a luxurious car, enjoying themselves at a fancy resort, and eating delicious 5-star cuisine, take a moment and think.
What you’re seeing might be a highly-curated image that has barely anything to do with reality. The influencer might have rented the luxurious space/clothes/items (possibly with dozens of other people, like Midiforreal noted).
Or they might have a ton of problems lurking behind the smiles, the glitz, the glamor. You never know the battles they’re fighting. At the end of the day, taking our social media feeds seriously can be a one-way trip to becoming “depressed and demoralized,” as Forbes points out.
You can watch her full video right over here
Sam Dogen, the founder of Financial Samurai, told Bored Panda some time ago that the main way to climb out of poverty is through financial education.
"The most important thing one can do is gain as much financial education as possible to get out of poverty. If there is no internet access at home or mobile data plan, perhaps there is free internet access at the local library, pandemic-willing. We can now learn anything and everything for free on the internet," he said.
Sam believes that it’s important to have your priorities straight if money is tight. "Paying for food is obviously the #1 necessity to spend money on. The second focus is on shelter," he said.
Meanwhile, he added that building passive income streams can help us become less dependent on our day jobs and paves the way toward financial freedom.
"The more passive investment income streams you have, the better. Starting with stocks or funds that generate dividends is the easiest for most investors because you can open up a brokerage account and buy just one share. Then you can invest in Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and private REITs as well," he told Bored Panda.
The key here is building up your investments slowly, consistently, over a long period of time. Sam warned that, for example, buying and selling cryptocurrencies is “more of a speculative play” and won’t generate income. It’s still a risk.
Some TikTok users were actually impressed. Here's what they had to say
