Money Now and Then

As Voltaire said, "When it is a question of money, everybody is of the same religion." Money is a common theme found throughout each generation but were the values surrounding it the same for everyone? Young people in the 1960s were all seen as hippies who believed money is the root of all evil while young people today are seen as selfish and money-obsessed. Does everyone have the same views towards money as Voltaire is suggesting or is money valued differently by different generations?

Some young people in the 1960s identified with hippy counterculture and rejected money altogether. They formed their own communities and believed in helping each other as much as possible to do so. A similar disinterest for money is seen in Just Kids where Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe live minimally. The pair desire success but not the wealth that is associated with that. They inevitably struggle with finding work and having enough money to survive. However their determination does not come from a desire to be wealthy, it comes from their passion for making art.

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Yet not all youth in the sixties could identify with hippies and living without money. Not everyone was capable of dropping out of society. Unlike hippies, some people did need to work and wanted to earn a comfortable amount of money. To some, hippies were seen as leeches on society that were too lazy to work.

As for today, a study shows that young people today are more money-obsessed than past generations. It states that the millennial generation is more concerned with money, image, and fame than values like community, charity, and self-acceptance.

"Millennials Study Captures Snapshot of Young America"

It is possible that young people’s preoccupation with money stems from the fact that, despite being on track to becoming the most educated generation, millennials are the least likely to find a job after college. More and more young people are pursuing higher education because of this increasingly tight job market. They know that this is necessary in order to one day make enough money to live comfortably. Interestingly enough, young people have a sense of optimism about the future and believe they will one day be okay. Despite accepting that they do not have enough income, young people increasingly believe that one day they will make enough money.

Another voice for youth today is 17-year-old singer Lorde. Her grammy-winning song “Royals” exemplifies today's youths’ fixation with money. The singer links young people's values on money towards pop culture's obsession with showing off wealth and a life of luxury. Singing “that kind of lux just ain’t for us” and “we aren’t caught up in your love affair,” Lorde expresses her inability to relate to this world. Evidently not all young people are enchanted by extreme wealth or desire to achieve it.

Unlike the hippies of the 1960s, millennials are not on trend to reject the idea of money altogether. However millennials' values towards money should not necessarily be seen as an evil one. Is it wrong for young people today to desire being well-off? Yes, young people are more money-obsessed than ever before but this does not stray from the trend laid out by previous generations. Their values towards money is a result of the reality of our economy just like hippies' value towards money is a result of their rejection of traditional American values. So when it comes to money, apparently not everyone is the same religion.