Gen Z is suffering from ‘money dysmorphia’ — they may not be as poor as they think they are
They may have rizz but they can’t handle their biz.
Gen Z is suffering from a financial insecurity trend phenomenon known called money dysmorphia, an expert claims.
Financial therapist Amanda Clayman defined the affliction as “a negative and unrealistic perception of one’s financial wellness or financial position.”
Moreso, it is “pervasive worry, vigilance — like an internalized feeling of unsafety with money,” she told Business Insider.
Young people, who coined the phrase “loud budgeting” to boast frugal practices publicly, may indeed be getting in over their heads. However, those who easily feel over-anxious “find that money is something that is very easy to worry about,” the pro said.
The theory is being floated as a whopping half of Zoomers say they’re relying on financial help from parents to save for marriage, start a family, or heaven forbid buy a house.
There was “a different environmental context” for older generations doing these things, Clayman claims, in a time long before the age of cyberpayments and social media pressures.
It’s pretty common to think everyone around you is living a life of luxury with a quick scroll on Instagram, she said.
“We can never know all of the intimate details of a person’s financial picture and their history,” she said.
“We are creating a pattern that tells a story based on the incomplete information that we’re picking up.”
On top of that, there are many financial unknowns to deal with as a young person opposed to those older who’ve already been through it.
“Once you’re in a later stage of life, you have a little bit more information that you can access,” Clayman said.
Meanwhile, older techniques like relying on a pension to retire are becoming antiquated nowadays. The cost of living, combined with inflation, is just digging the hole deeper as well.
The pressure all this puts on young people to hyper-save can be “an attempt to feel better and to quiet the level of anxiety that we’re experiencing,” according to Clayman.
