Why “Get Rich Quick” is a Dangerous Illusion in Today’s Competitive World
We’ve all seen the flashy Instagram posts or TikTok videos: someone lounging by an infinity pool, sipping champagne, and bragging about how they “made six figures in 30 days.”
These stories often claim to come from crypto investors, online traders, or self-proclaimed entrepreneurs who cracked the code to financial freedom. But beneath the surface lies a sobering truth: while opportunities to make money online are more accessible than ever, the promise of quick & easy wealth is often an illusion.
1. The Mirage of Wealth
Social media paints a picture of a world where success seems effortless. A viral clip of someone flipping NFTs or day trading their way to riches can make you believe that everyone is cashing in. But this perception is far from reality.
For every person who makes a fortune trading cryptocurrencies, thousands more lose money. In fact, recent data from DemandSage shows that over 90% of day traders fail to turn a profit. [1]
Even startups, which were once seen as the ultimate ticket to wealth, now face unprecedented challenges. While in the early 2000s, around 20% of businesses failed within their first two years. By 2025, that number has skyrocketed to +90%, highlighting how much harder it is to stand out in today’s crowded, competitive markets. [1]
2. Crushing Economic Realities
While opportunities may seem abundant, young people today face significant structural challenges that make building wealth far more difficult than in the past.
- Rising Debt: Student loan balances are ballooning, with total student debt in countries like Australia surpassing $78 billion in 2023. Many graduates doubt whether they’ll ever be able to pay these debts off. [2]
- Unaffordable Housing: In countries like the UK, housing prices have surged by 160% since the mid-1990s, while wages have grown by only 23%. The dream of owning a home is increasingly out of reach for young adults. [3]
- Inflation: Cost-of-living pressures have hit younger generations hard. In 2023, inflation remained stubbornly high at 8.7%, making everyday expenses like groceries, rent, and utilities harder to manage. [4]
These numbers highlight a stark truth: young people are starting from a much more disadvantaged position than previous generations.
3. The Rise of Competition
The accessibility of tools like trading apps, e-commerce platforms, and freelancing marketplaces has democratized money-making opportunities. But with accessibility comes saturation.
Take content creation as an example. Platforms like YouTube and TikTok are brimming with millions of creators, all vying for the same limited attention span. E-commerce? Thousands of sellers push similar products on Amazon, making it harder than ever to stand out. Even cryptocurrency trading, once a niche hobby, is now dominated by institutional investors and automated bots that operate on a scale individuals can’t match.
The result? While it’s easier to start, it’s exponentially harder to succeed.
4. The Power of Perception
What drives this illusion of wealth? It’s the curated nature of online platforms. Social media rewards flashy wins and punishes transparency about failures. People post pictures of their vacations but not the credit card debt that paid for them. They share screenshots of stock gains but stay silent on losses.
This selective sharing creates a distorted narrative that wealth is everywhere and anyone can achieve it. In reality, success is often built on years of hard work, discipline, and — yes — failure.
The moral of the story is this: While it may seem like the world is getting richer, the path to wealth is harder and more competitive than ever. Debt, housing costs, inflation, and saturated markets create significant barriers, even as online platforms promise easy wins.
Instead of chasing the illusion of instant riches, we need to focus on building real, sustainable skills. Success in today’s world demands patience, resilience, and a willingness to learn from failure (though the highlight reels on social media may suggest otherwise.)
If you ask me, you can make money in any industry, but success comes from understanding your audience and your industry better than most. Whether you sell art or seaweed snacks, this personal edge isn’t built overnight — it’s the result of time, effort.
The next time you see someone flaunting their wealth online, remember: their success is not your timeline. Stay grounded, stay focused, and build something that lasts.
Sources:
[1] Demand Sage on Startup Statistics: “Global Startup Failure Rate in 2025”
https://www.demandsage.com/startup-statistics/
[2] News.com.au on Rising Student Debt: “‘Disappointed’: 20yo’s 2025 Debt Horror”
https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/interest-rates/wont-be-able-to-afford-20yos-crushing-debt-reality/news-story/bd42a11beb2ba6e3d2ebaefbc355dba0
[3] BBC on Housing Prices: “The Struggle for Young People to Afford a Home”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45084530
[4] Independent.co.uk on Inflation and Cost of Living: “ONS: Renters and Young People Hit Hard by Cost-of-Living Crisis”
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ons-renters-young-people-cost-living-generation-b2375435.html
