system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How do you reconcile the narrative that “getting by”is much harder nowadays with the data that appears to show real compensation increasing?
gpt
Well, the simple answer is, the narrative is wrong.

But I'd say a plausible explanation is; wealth isn't always obvious.

Consider what you'd consider average, relatively basic equipment for an apartment. Washing machine, fridge, oven, microwave, TV, laptop, and people also own cars, smartphones, etc. A lot of those things weren't nearly as commonplace 30 years ago, and others just straight up didn't exist. But now, they have become standard, and because "everybody" has them, they aren't seen as special, and people don't recognize that they simply have more *stuff* they spent their money on than they would have had 30 years ago.

Not to mention that it's easy to forget about the quality aspect of things. A low budget car now is way nicer, more economical, more powerful than a comparable car 40 years ago.

Of course on top of that you have other effects. People spend more on their education and take longer to enter the workforce, so obviously someone who's in their early 20s now is in a different position than 50 years ago. Doesn't mean it's a worse one in the long term.