To think media overhypes the cost of living.

[Krazykat80]

Everyday you see on the news people at rock bottom. Today I saw a father boiling the kettle to give is son a bath because he couldn't afford gas etc. I understand this is a reality for some but the media makes it seem like its wide spread and everyone is really struggling. When I go into town on the weekend I still see bars ,restaurants amusement , theatre's, shops like selfridges full etc. I'm starting to think the media keeps showing us these stories to keep us from going out and protesting against rises in cost of food etc. I say this because today I saw a lot of people in clothes not fit for the pouring rain soaking wet and felt guilty for being dry in my waterproof jacket with my shopping and felt grateful even those I don't have loads. I said I feel guilty and he said yes that's why the media keeps showing you it so you think I should be thankful I'm not in that position instead of going out like some countries on the streets and telling the government to do something about it and it Stops riots because of the rich getting richer out of this crisis Oil companies even Jeff amazon dude feels guilty and wants to give his money he stole off people by not paying them properly etc. I walk around tesco and people's baskets are still full. Am I just a conspiracy knob about the media really overhypering it to keep us quiet ansdobenident.

Empathy is the word that is needed. If you don’t experience it then it doesn’t happen unless you are on benefits or are an immigrant. When sitting comfortably on your settee or in your armchair look at the media coverage and see what is happening to so many families.

Yes OP, all those charities who actually deal with hundreds of thousands of people - like Citizens Advice Bureau, Trussell Trust, Shelter - they are just lying and actually your research in the supermarket is more accurate.

Cost of Living Denialists are everywhere.

People who can afford to shop at Selfridges aren't worried about the cost of living. We are comfortable currently renovating the house so you will see me with a full trolley in Sainsbury’s and B&Q at least once a month. A pay rise for DH and a new job for me has took the sting out of the cost of living, we have also invested in solar to keep our bills like that for aslong as possible.

For us the cost of living crisis is more about whether we can do the house to the standard we want, continue with our bucket list and not feel stressed. We have friends on mega money who are still stressed about it in other ways such as the threat to their industries or the chance of redundancy.

The biggest issue is for those like NHS nurses who can't just move job to cover the short fall yet also haven't got a decent pay rise so will be forced to either give up a passion or take a drop in living standards

You’d have to be a new arrival on the planet to think that socialism is about everyone having the opportunity to get rich. It’s the exact opposite. And incidentally it’s exactly what we have right now. Ever increasing state, higher taxes, and tax money being thrown around like confetti everywhere you look.

I know what you mean. The media always need something to over-hype and catastrophise and at the moment it's the cost of living.

Of course if it isn't happening to you directly, it isn't happening at all.

I still go shopping and fill up my basket, because my child still eats the same amount as his did last month and the month before, not because the price is ideal for me and I'm not struggling.

The media loves a narrative, and loves ‘human interest’ stories which show ordinary people in hardship to illustrate the real-world effects of ‘dry’ political & economic issues. ‘Cost of living crisis’ is the current media narrative. In 2020 & 21 it was the pandemic. Next year, it will be something else. Hopefully not WW III.
That doesn’t mean, of course, that people on low incomes are not genuinely struggling to make ends meet, or that people on middle incomes are having to review their spending priorities and cut back on treats, luxuries & nice-to-haves in a way they are not used to.

Then why aren't people out protesting telling the government to do something, like France, Brazil either people are numb. When people strike the media goes against them. It seems the media is trying to make people numb and be grateful for what you have at least you aren't as bad as them . That is my point everyone just seems to keep quiet about their struggles and nobody is holding government big companies accountable.

Have you not noticed lots of people striking? Trains, tubes, bus companies, nurses are striking soon, pretty sure jacobs crackers staff were on strike today.

So media is showing people being poor, which by extension means that these poor people are giving interviews about how they are struggling, allowing themselves to be filmed queuing at food banks etc but you're complaining that poor people are keeping their poverty a secret and aren't protesting against the government?
You're talking a load of bollocks. Kindly stfu

There are loads of strikes happening.

And frankly, this goverment does not give a shit about the young or the poor, because they're the party of the well-off. There is no point in protesting while there's the war in Ukraine and all the financial support during covid for them to blame.

This

Yes all of the above but no media sticks up for them. All of the above deserves a payrise but the media turns us against them and tells us we should be grateful. When the profits are millions.

@Krazykat80 This is Britain. We don’t take to the streets & protest. It’s not the British way. Never has been, never will be. We leave that sort of thing to the French. They had a revolution, we didn’t. We just grumble instead.

Socialism is “exactly what we have right now” … in the UK? Are you having a laugh?

Because the owners of the right-wing red-top papers have lots of money and don't want us to vote Labour.

Shot themselves in the bollocks though, as taxes are going up.

We haven’t got to the worst of it yet.

At the moment we’re only a month or so out of an unusual hot summer with the looming cost of living crisis but still hopeful the government had a plan. In that time, the mini budget has caused irreparable damage to interest rates and the government has cancelled any ongoing support to the energy support as of April. So whilst it is hard now, it hasn’t really hit rock bottom for most. I include myself in this but can see it’s coming in a short few months.

It’s not being overhyped. It’s really just getting started.

@Krazykat80

jeez if you can’t see it had back your maths gcse or o level.

i am assuming you have neither based on your question.

or did you vote brexit and bojo and can’t admit you shame

dear god

Do not underestimate how the cost of living is affecting most people. The thing is that if people strike they don’t get paid. On top of that especially if you’re in a profession where young people will be affected or medical patients will be affected making that choice is hard. No one at the top has ever had the feeling where they need to budget money until the end of the week or the consequences of going into their overdraft. It is so hard at the moment this crises is real. Please don’t try and minimise it. The media may be reposting sensational stories but that’s what the media do. People are at the end of their tether. I mean £5,000 a year minimum for gas and electric never mind the added mortgage rises, possibly council tax after this new budget next week and then food costs. It’s awful.

Why don't you ask poverty relief, homelessness and food bank charities what they think?

Be careful, though. Once they realise it's all overhyped and they're not needed, they'll all go bust and everyone will lose their jobs. And then how will you feel?

(Angry because they still buy food, I guess.)

Similar to a previous poster, people who are comfortable it’s easy to minimise the struggle people are going through. People are literally choosing between feeding themselves or their kids. It is already bad. I know elderly people who are so scared to put their heaters on they are putting jumpers on but still going every day in cold houses it’s not a joke! People have given so much to this country and then you have the over privileged lying and then turning up on celebrity programmes on tv. People died last year, people spent their last moments alone. The country is in financial ruin. We need a general election. We know who is to blame.

I've heard that vegetarianism is very popular, but I was in the butcher's shop the other day and everyone in there was buying meat, so I don't think it is as widespread as people make out.

I walk around tesco and people's baskets are still full
This is a pretty stupid way to judge how much money people have. Of course people are buying food... What do you expect them to do? That's basically the last thing you stop buying.

I do think that for a lot of people the COL crisis isn't really a big deal, but for a lot of people it is. And that number will only be increasing.

Two local businesses here in my neck of the woods are shuttering their businesses for the winter because they can't afford the increased energy costs. They're not doing it for funsies, you know.

Am I just a conspiracy knob about the media really overhypering it to keep us quiet ansdobenident

Overhyping a situation to make it worse than it actually is to keep us quiet and obedient? more likely to do exactly the opposite.