NYT article archive link

Over the last four decades, the financial circumstances into which children have been born have increasingly determined where they have ended up as adults. But an expansive new study, based on billions of social media connections, has uncovered a powerful exception to that pattern that helps explain why certain places offer a path out of poverty.

For poor children, living in an area where people have more friendships that cut across class lines significantly increases how much they earn in adulthood, the new research found.

  • Tormato [none/use name]
    ·
    2 years ago

    Exactly. It’s all status, showing off, who can hang with the big boys bullshit.

    Was at a sibling who works in banks’ bday party at a bar. The assembled friends were all ordering bourgeois crap that I’d never drink, like bottles of Prosecco. I had maybe a few beers. When it was over the check was outrageous and assumed to be split evenly because, that’s just the way it is with these smug, entitled douchebags. To me and my fellow musician friend it was outrageous. I paid for what I drank and didn’t feel bad at all about not dividing it evenly between us.

    Similarly, if these fuckers with large incomes wanna invite me to their places and outings I’m not gonna feel bad if I don’t bring anything major or on their level to contribute. If they want to throw fancy soirées on their dime I’m more than happy to indulge and not feel at all bad about it. Many an artist or working class person have freely taken from these people with the notion that if they have then share it.

    • JuneFall [none/use name]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Read some blog post by a rich person being angry with people he invited. He did invite them for a 7 day stay at one of his properties for summer vacation (he was there too, and it was a party for him) and he wanted to split the other costs (so kerosine, food etc.) evenly between the people. He did nothing but get money from the parents (40 million) and does such kind of shit.