A person’s worth nowadays seems to be judged according to social status and material possessions. Old-fashioned values, such as honour, kindness and trust, no longer seem important. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

We are now living in a materialistic society where people measure our worth in terms of our bank balance and other luxuries we enjoy. It is no longer possible to gain respect just because you are kind, honest or hard working. Hence, I fully agree with the given argument. The Instant gratification that online users get through likes and comments on their social media pages like Facebook and Instagram can be attributed as the main reason for it. After all, 85% of the world population is hooked to these platforms. People need something to show off in front of their friends and relatives. Hence, they are buying even those things they do not really need. They then flaunt those acquisitions on social media just to show everyone that they are living the good life. Obviously, those who have nothing to show are thought to be poor or miserly and fail to gain respect. A recent survey by the University of Oxford revealed that 82% of participants derive more happiness from owing expensive objects than from doing an act of kindness. Clearly, the number of people valuing others for their empathy and compassion is outnumbered by those enamored of material comforts and luxuries. It is easier to relate to this phenomenon in our daily lives too. For instance, a person arriving at a restaurant in a fancy Lamborghini, dressed in branded designer clothes would get more attention and preferenceto somebody who does humanitarian work at an NGO or arrives wearing a soldier uniform. While it is disheartening that our society has reached these levels of ostentatiousness, it is the reality of the times we live in. Overall, it is appropriate to conclude that a person’s worth is judged by the position they hold in society and the expensive things they possess. Values like compassion, honesty and good will are no longer the benchmarks that make them stand apart.