I’m trying to be mindful of this when raising my son. He’s been watching these Mr. Beast videos - Mr. Beast is basically a YouTube game show host for young people, and most of his videos entail awarding money to people for completing video game challenges (usually Minecraft.)
This guy is hardly the direct pathway to being an incel tech bro, but it sends pretty clear messages about money as the ultimate prize. So we’ve talked about money and the role it ought to play in one’s life. He asked me why global warming is happening - he has an interest in earth and astronomy - and I explained it’s because some people think money is the most important thing, and they don’t care about how bad it is for other people. And so every time we talk about money, I tell him that a little bit is necessary, and a little more can make for a comfortable life, but it’s not the most important thing and it’s definitely not worth hurting other people. As far as living that value, I think we do. We have some nice things but within reason, and my husband has forgone a bigger client load so he can be an involved father. So I’m hoping the combination of words/actions is effective.
My son is very intelligent and very willful. He’s also going to have to learn about entitlement, and I imagine as he goes through school there will be plenty of opportunities to provide that kind of guidance.