Changed Quote by Lauren Greenfield
“The economist Juliet Schor talks about how our reference group has changed over the last twenty-five years. As we spend less time with our neighbors, we're spending more time with people we know from TV and social media, and this becomes our new reference group. The media is full of images of people with wealth, and we're comparing ourselves to them and aspiring to what they have. Instead of keeping up with the Joneses family, we're trying to keep up with the Kardashians, even though it's completely unrealistic.”
About This Quote
Source Documentary: "The One Percent", 2018
The speaker observes that media‑driven celebrity culture reshapes social comparison, shifting reference groups from neighbors to affluent public figures, fostering unrealistic aspirations.
In simple terms: Media changes who we compare ourselves to.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and adjust unrealistic social comparisons.
Themes
media influence
social comparison
consumer culture
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
sociological
observational
When to use this quote
- marketing analysis
- media literacy workshops
- personal budgeting
Key Concepts
reference groups
aspirational standards
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you evaluate realistic goals?
- What sources shape your aspirations?
A Different Perspective
Comparisons can lead to dissatisfaction and financial strain.
![“They [investment bankers] don't even want the stuff that they've got, you know the fancy cars and houses. Their consumption is basically just a keeping up with the Joneses or let's buy the markers of success because this is what I'm supposed to have and this is what I'm supposed to do. And they…” quote by Larkin Grimm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8a6/larkin-grimm-21078_bankers_they-investment-bankers-don-t-even-want_2098201.jpg)
![“I'm a huge fan of Zach's [Galifianakis] and I auditioned Zach a million years ago on a movie called Duplex which I was fired from. But Zach came in - It was like 2000, maybe - as a buddy stand-up that people were starting to notice and there was something about him I loved. He wasn't quite right…” quote by Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a12/greg-mottola-18911_buddy_i-m-a-huge-fan-of-zach-s-galifianakis-an_1011792.jpg)
![“[Keeping Up with the Joneses] is not one of those movies where people get shot and fall down and there's no reality of what would happen if you got shot and knocked over a motorcycle. It's meant to be a slight comedy in that sense.” quote by Greg Mottola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/685/greg-mottola-18911_comedy_keeping-up-with-the-joneses-is-not-one-o_972867.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
