Cyber heirs who flaunt their wealth online could be a boon
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Version 0 of 1. Forget the old class of trustfunders; there’s a new variety of rich kids on the block. “Cyber heirs” flaunt their wealth in ways their predecessors could never have fathomed. Using social media as a platform, these offspring of the elite post Instagram photos from exclusive locales, tweet from the family yacht, post vines from the back of chauffeured luxury vehicles and send Snapchats of their latest couture acquisitions. Many find their ostentatious displays of wealth uncouth. But, tactless or not, these kids are hashtagging their way into a more transparent era that differs greatly from the old money modus operandi – and that’s something to be welcomed. While their ancestors may have lived by the “old money is never loud” principle, their social media-savvy heirs are redefining the rules. Their selfies are far more revealing than they ever intended: in breaking the previous constraints of the one percent, these rich kids are allowing for a more honest dialogue about consumerism, class divisions and our complicated relationship with material goods. I am not, nor ever have been, a “rich kid.” Until recently, I didn’t know a thing about the children of world’s wealthiest families. But in writing the fictionalized version of the notorious Rich Kids of Instagram (RKOI) Tumblr with my husband Thomas Warming, we took a gonzo trek into the universe of champagne-filled infinity pools and uber-rich kids. The kind who pose in daddy’s jet on their last-minute jaunt to Ibiza, proudly display $60,000 bar tabs, feed Frappuccinos to their baby cheetahs and race to the Hamptons with the family DaVinci seat-belted in the back of their Aston Martin. When RKOI first launched, the effect was polarizing. What began as a satirical site posting Instagram images from the most privileged kids in the world soon became a phenomenon. In a matter of weeks, hundreds of submissions were being sent to RKOI’s anonymous creator on a daily basis. Each post that proudly displayed their latest extravagance - and debauchery - garnered instant notoriety. Sure, the public at large might have found their gilded show-and-tell somewhat repulsive – CNBC called them “rich kids and wannabes in various states of excess, undress and indulgence” – but now, three years later, the site is more popular than ever. At this point, RKOI has spawned two reality shows, a book-to-TV scripted series and a slew of trust fund cyber celebrities. And while unadulterated decadence is an obvious audience draw, their audacity is what has prompted real scrutiny. In six months of intensive research for the novel, I found that few considered the have-not reaction to their photos and even fewer the possibility of their photos being referenced in social commentary. Yet, willingly or not, these rich kids are very making a statement about their right to wealth and privilege with refreshing honesty. Instagramming Dom Perignon and caviar cocktail hour may be a loose interpretation of the Occupy movement’s call for “fiscal transparency”, but their photos could help push us in that direction– especially when coupled with cavalier hashtags like #sorryyouratwork or #judgemebitch. A large segment of the population know little of Piketty’s income inequality theory, nor do they want to wade through mires of academic and statistical evidence of it. Everyday financial concerns – mortgage, college tuition, paying the bills – are the pressing issues. And while a great many find our economic climate deeply unsettling, they also find discussing the topic equally uncomfortable, if not taboo entirely. Yet an open, honest dialogue about economic disparity is not only relevant, but vital to moving forward. That’s why these rich kids may be doing us an unintentional service: they may be spoiled and lacking in taste, but at least they are giving us a way to talk about them. And that may be just what we need. |