It disturbs me to know that a common phrase is being used through social media to acknowledge “first world problems”.
It seems that many have forgotten about people living in Third World places, where poverty forces fathers, mothers and their children to starve.
On the social media site Twitter, tweets are compiling by the second regarding “first world problems”, where users complain about their hair or not having the latest iPhone.
People living outside of Third World areas, where the small things feel like large problems, are lucky and should be grateful. The small problems we face on a daily basis are slim to none compared to what Third World residents endure. I'm appalled with how people are mocking poverty and going along with this “first world problems” phrase. Because in the big picture, there are no “first world problems.”
On Monday of last week, the user of @l3ahpar tweeted “Being hungry but the fridge is way, way downstairs, so you end up just going to bed hungry #firstworldproblems”.
There are starving children in Third World countries that have real hunger problems.
On Tuesday of last week, Michael Clifford @vimtolouis tweeted “I should shower but this bed is so comfortable and I'm really tired #firstworldproblems”.
There are people in Third World countries who are sleeping in dirt outside and don't have a shower.
Also on Tuesday, Kat @bancerthedancer posted a photo of a Samsung phone and tweeted “I have to use this brick until I get my iPhone. Is life even worth living anymore? #firstworldproblems”.
There are people in Third World countries that have diseases and every day is a struggle to survive. They wouldn't even have a chance to think about having any kind of phone and that doesn't make their lives not worth living.
An account on Twitter, @firstworldme, promises “a consistent flow of fresh first world problems, because life is hard on top”.
The account's user tweeted on Tuesday last week “I want to buy a bag of chips from the vending machine, but I only have a wallet full of $20's. #firstworldproblems”.
There are others in Third World countries that can't even afford to purchase a bag of chips, let alone having too much money.
People are getting way too out of hand with this and it's time to take a minute to re-evaluate what's important in life and consider other people's lives in other parts of the world.
We need to be grateful we even have cellphones, food, clean drinking water and most importantly health. These are not problems. These are blessings.
Isn't this why we learned about Third World countries in school? Just because it doesn't directly affect us, doesn't mean we can ignore it and even worse, treat it as a joke.
At the end of the day, if these people were in the shoes of a Third World victim, a “first world problem” would be the last thing to cross their mind.
