Inflation vs Social Media
What is Money? Is it even a symbol that is validated anymore? Money is a part of our everyday lives whether it’s in plastic form or physical. Over the years as technology advanced money was no longer just green paper with numbers on them to express the value of money. Now money is something that can be easily accessed through a phone or ATM. So with the form of money everchanging is valuable anymore? As inflation keeps rising money is becoming something that we just use to purchase necessities. Back in the 1900’s maybe even further money was valued no one was spending it on useless things. Now society sees money as something to spend to make memories rather than something to save. What is money? It’s a green paper that one point had value.
In the Pacific Ocean, there is a tiny island called Yap where the residents use a giant limestone as money. They didn’t use the stone for everyday things; One it was too heavy and two the stone’s value was greater to use for big purchases. When they first arrived at the island money was said to be unclear on what it would look like. Until Yap saw a big stone two and fifty thousand away and brought it home. When they brought it back drilled a hole into the disc and decided that it was what they used for money. The funny thing about how they distributed the ownership is not by rolling it to each other’s house but by expressing to the island through tradition the stone’s owner has changed. Sounds ridiculous when you think about money being a stone but if you see and believe that an item has value could it be money? Yap proved that money could be pulled out of thin air if you see the value and the people around agree.
Take for example what Brazil went through with high inflation before four college kids came to their rescue. Imagine going to the supermarket and racing to the aisle before prices were changed. Brazil’s idea of having money was spending it before it became useless. Brazil’s struggle with money continued for five decades because in the 1950’s the government came to a decision to build a new city but had no money to do. When the government had no money the next best thing was to print it which started Brazil’s five-decade battle with inflation. Their first solution was to do a freeze on the money. With that freeze, businesses stop selling products waiting for the prices to go back up. Part of the consequence of the prize is Brazil lost some residents due to suicide. Knowing about Brazil’s situation with money makes you reflect on how much money is a necessity for everyday expenses.
When you think about social media what comes to mind? No one realizes that social media could be associated with money. Social media is a platform to boast available information but also to influence one’s pocket. Digital Platforms are not the sole reason for inflation but it does drive it. Influencers are people who promote products that drive society to spend. If social media wasn’t around businesses would not have many consumers. Money is used for everyday expenses but influencers promote slightly better products. Social media drives money and money drives social media. It’s the way of how this generation functions. Now when one thinks of social media think twice if spending imaginary money is worth it.
To sum up, the statements above money is losing its value whether it’s sunken down in the ocean or being printed. In the past times, money was valued and governments weren’t taking advantage of their power. As inflation keeps increasing money is more for spending than saving. When saving money is sitting in a bank to increase the value over the years but now with inflation are banks worth it anymore? If a government can print money anytime value of money shouldn’t be a problem. Is money even money if the Yap can use limestone as a way of payment?
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
You try to do a lot in your Introduciton, HotGirl, but you don’t seem to have an organization plan.
• You question whether it’s valid at all,
• and in the meantime you suggest that it might not be ANYTHING but a symbol.
• Readers won’t know what to make of that if their first thought when you ask them your question is: it’s currency, numbered strips of colorful linen that we use for transactions.
• Then you indicate that the physicality matters: plastic or physical,
• but plastic IS physical, so they have to wonder what you’re driving at.
• Then you backtrack to describe that technology eased the evolution from paper to . . . to what? You don’t say.
• Now it’s accessible through mechanical devices, but you might still mean here that the PAPER (actually linen) can be accessed through an ATM (That’s how most people use one.) or a phone, which DOESN’T deliver folding bills.
• Then you wonder whether money is valuable. We’re not sure why. You haven’t said what value it had to begin with, so we can’t judge.
• Next comes the big transition: Money is used to purchase necessities. Surely it’s always been that. But you say JUST necessities. Are we still talking about the value of currency, or have you introduced an entirely new topic: our BUYING POWER dwindles when inflation raises prices faster than what we earn.
• Whatever you meant in the early sentences, you mean something else now: We still value money, but we put it to a different use than before.
• Your last sentence hints that money no longer has value, but you’ve said the opposite (or something close to the opposite) twice, with details.
I apologize if that feels like overkill. The earlier you start weighing the argument value of every sentence, in sequence, the sooner you’ll write persuasively.
Would an example help? I’m going to eliminate the Rhetorical Questions first. I apologize again if they’re your favorite technique for starting an essay. I’ll try to wean you from them by providing alternatives. Here we go:
Your most important ideas are all there, I think. But I eliminated the distracting details about whether money is linen or plastic or digital because they don’t seem relevant to your theme.
Does that help?
PROVISIONALLY GRADED. Grade is on Canvas or will appear soon.
Revisions (and the regrading that follows) are encouraged but not required.
RESPONDING to feedback is STRENUOUSLY encouraged.
Yes that definitely helps i will revise and see where I need to fine tuning. I do have a tendency to go all over the place with my essays. Earlier in the beginning of class you said to write less vague and that’s what I tried to achieve when writing the essay.