Dangers of promoting a Culture of Envy

I spent more than 8 years with a local media company.  I have also witnessed the impact of social media and the good as well as the bad it brings to our society.  Media,  particularly the mass platforms will continue to be a potent influence on the minds as well as the behavior of society. 

It influences opinions and shapes the values that our young will grow up with.

I am concerned about the angle that reports in our mainstream media are taking.  These are becoming very muddled between celebrating success and grovelling the haves of individuals.  Success stories are important to motivate readers/viewers to aim higher in their lives and work towards their goals.  But these stories must surely involve how the successes were achieved - EFFORTS and REWARDS must surely go hand-in-hand !

Yes, there are people who are just plain lucky - or even fortunate to get the help and enjoy the generosity of others - then we must promote the values of help and compassion.  

I have read and now stopped doing so altogether - the money page of Sunday Times that interviews individuals on how they manage their funds.  It almost always concludes with where you live (answer - a condominium or two-storey semi-D etc), what is your best investment (answer - I invested in something and now the value has tripled etc). 

The reports on the Ferrari accident that involved a taxi driver and a motorcyclist again contained information that I feel is really irrelevant and unhelpful to this atmosphere of unhappiness with foreigners.  The driver of the Ferrari was a young China financial consultant who (bought a $820,000 private house in the east), and had just bought the sports car worth $xxx, 000). 

I do not see the relevance of such details to the accident report.  Yes, it sells newspapers but surely there are cheaper (pun intended) platform to report them.  We should be doing the humanistic reporting - how is the injured, how are their families coping, how can the compassionate individuals go about offering help.  Of course, these reports have subsequently been made on the taxi-driver and his young kids. 

Is gutter reporting a way of our lives now?