In this modern age, the majority of the countries in the world are using economic development to raise the living standard, and consequently leads to the loss of some social values. From my perspective, the advantages of the phenomenon do not outweigh its disadvantages.
There are many benefits of improved living standards. But the most worth-mentioning one is the improvement in people’s quality of life. Citizens can have better access to education, healthcare, technologies, etc. Besides, higher income is also inevitable when a country has a higher standard of living. Singapore is a good example to illustrate this point. Singapore’s educational system has always ranked top in the world, and the government provides a variety of scholarships for students around the globe to come and study. Many entrepreneurs now are Singaporeans or have had education in Singapore.
Despite the aforementioned merits of higher standard of living, I believe the drawbacks outweigh them. The phenomenon has resulted in the loss of social values. The concentration on personal success and material gain can have a negative influence on human’s relationships, therefore, causing a decrease in human’s interactions or empathy. Furthermore, while improved living conditions can be a good thing to some people, it also affects the equality among humans since the wealth gap between classes can widen due to the phenomenon. Rich people will become more prosperous, while the disadvantaged ones cannot catch up the developmental flow and be left behind as they do not have enough access or support from the government.
In conclusion, I do not believe higher living standards are more advantageous to our society. If this phenomenon continues, human’s relationship might be weakened and the wealth gap can never be bridged.