Posted pictures of money on Facebook: Questions about values

There are at least two Facebook friends of mine who posted pictures of money in local currency on their wall. When I saw the pictures of bundles of money posted on one's wall I'm disturbed. For many people it is inappropriate to display bundles of money, personal wealth such as jewelries, expensive clothing, high tech equipments and other things that publicly displays one's economic power and superior lifestyle. I think there is more to it than just showing them on a social networking website. It redounds to the question of values. I don't question other people's values in any sense, but my concern is about what values are revealed in posting pictures of money and wealth.

I think when people post pictures of money and wealth on their wall on Facebook there is this fascination about wealth. This springs from their desire for power, prestige and social acceptance. They may be fascinated to show to people that they have economic power especially the money to buy what they want and tell others that he or she is NOT impoverished and powerless as he/she used to be. At the subconscious level this behavior is an assertion of one's new identity and capabilities.

Yet still the values that are shown in this behavior are those that can be classified as materialistic. Money and wealth preoccupies the heirarchy of values in one's life. Of course one's life and family is on top of that value system, but when it comes to social relations, that is, one's acceptance to society, such as relating with friends and other people, money and wealth is believed to be of prime importance. In most religions there are teachings of the greater values that people shoul internalize, emulate and share with others. Christian values of love, respect, justice, peace, moderation and self-sacrifice have been emphasized. However for people who grew up in economic deprivation have the tendency to take on materialistic values, that money and wealth ensure social power and influence.

On the extreme the acceptance of Christian values of self-sacrifice instilled by the church in the minds of its adherenrs especially in colonial times was a means of control on the oppressed classes of people. The lavish and comfortable life of the friars and the feudal lords had been justified by the colonial church values. The sacrifices of adherents to Christianity are intilled in the minds of the people as their "service to God." This blinded the people to the oppression and exploitation that they'd experience.

So before you post pictures of money and wealth on your wall on Facebook think several times before you do it.