An insidious illness is taking hold among a growing proportion of young people. Little known to the general public, peniaphobia—the fear of becoming poor—is gaining ground among teens and young adults. Discover the causes and implications of this phenomenon.
A generation under constant pressure
Behind this still little-publicized term lies a very real, often paralyzing, anxiety that affects a generation already weakened by economic, social, and psychological uncertainties. Peniaphobia, once a marginal issue, is now being discussed by specialists and relayed in the media, as its effects become more visible. It can lead to chronic stress, eating disorders, insomnia, and even a worrying withdrawal.
The rise of peniaphobia cannot be understood without considering the context in which it occurs. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, many young people have been brutally confronted with precariousness: student jobs lost, difficulties paying rent, and recourse to food banks. These experiences have left lasting scars, notably a feeling of economic vulnerability that some are no longer able to assuage.
The pressure is also psychological and cultural, fueled by dominant discourses on success, failure, and performance. “It’s this race for success that conditions everything. As if not being able to be first calls their entire life into question,” child psychiatrist Marie-Rose Moro recently explained in La Croix.
The anxiety-inducing role of social networks
Social media platforms also play a major role in spreading this anxiety. On Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, the most popular content depicts idealized lives: dream vacations, luxury outfits, immaculate apartments, dazzling professional success… A lifestyle that seems out of reach for many, fueling feelings of failure or inferiority.
For some young people, this translates into a constant fear of “failing in life” if they don’t quickly achieve a certain level of material comfort. The constant comparison, combined with fear of the economic future, makes peniaphobia a breeding ground for mental distress.
Varied and disabling symptoms
Peniaphobia doesn’t always manifest itself in visible crises. It can be insidious, rooted in daily habits. Some young people avoid spending a single cent, live extremely frugally, and refuse to go out or take on projects for fear of “mortgaging” their future. Others develop behavioral problems, ranging from generalized anxiety to eating disorders and even depression.
In the most severe cases, this fear takes the form of a true obsession, accompanied by intrusive thoughts or somatic disorders: headaches, chronic fatigue, palpitations. The feeling of constant urgency prevents any calm projection into the future.
How can we allay this fear of being downgraded?
There is no single solution, but several avenues can help reduce the impact of peniaphobia on daily life.
- Regain control over your breathing and thoughts. Breathing exercises or meditation can help manage anxiety spikes. At the same time, cognitive reconstruction work, such as learning to replace catastrophic thoughts with positive alternatives, can be beneficial.
- Disconnect from social injunctions. Remembering that social media doesn’t reflect reality is an essential exercise. Every journey is different, and the apparent success of others is often the result of carefully calibrated staging.
- Respect your personal pace. Success doesn’t follow a single timetable. It’s important to restore the value of slowness, progress, and development. This also helps reduce the unnecessary pressure many young people place on themselves.
- Seek professional help. In the most severe cases, consulting a psychologist or psychiatrist can help you put your anxiety into words, understand its origins, and develop appropriate support.
The emergence of peniaphobia among young people must therefore be considered a warning signal. It reveals a deep unease about a future perceived as uncertain, unstable, and threatening. It also testifies to the psychological impact of the models of success conveyed by our societies.
News
Your brain could get bigger – not smaller – as you age
recently asked myself if I’ll still have a healthy brain as I get older. I hold a professorship at a neurology department. Nevertheless, it is difficult for me to judge if a particular brain, [...]
Hidden Cost of Smart AI: 50× More CO₂ for a Single Question
Every time we ask an AI a question, it doesn’t just return an answer—it also burns energy and emits carbon dioxide. German researchers found that some “thinking” AI models, which generate long, step-by-step reasoning [...]
Genetically-engineered immune cells show promise for preventing organ rejection
A Medical University of South Carolina team reports in Frontiers in Immunology that it has engineered a new type of genetically modified immune cell that can precisely target and neutralize antibody-producing cells complicit in organ rejection. [...]
Building and breaking plastics with light: Chemists rethink plastic recycling
What if recycling plastics were as simple as flicking a switch? At TU/e, Assistant Professor Fabian Eisenreich is making that vision a reality by using LED light to both create and break down a [...]
Generative AI Designs Novel Antibiotics That Defeat Defiant Drug-Resistant Superbugs
Harnessing generative AI, MIT scientists have created groundbreaking antibiotics with unique membrane-targeting mechanisms, offering fresh hope against two of the world’s most formidable drug-resistant pathogens. With the help of artificial intelligence, MIT researchers have [...]
AI finds more breast tumors earlier than traditional double radiologist review
AI is detecting tumors more often and earlier in the Dutch breast cancer screening program. Those tumors can then be treated at an earlier stage. This has been demonstrated by researchers led by Radboud [...]
Lavender oil could speed recovery after brain surgery
A week of lavender-scented nights helped brain surgery patients sleep more deeply, shorten delirium, and feel calmer, pointing to a simple, natural aid for post-surgery care. A randomized controlled trial investigating the therapeutic impact [...]
Targeting Nanoparticles for Heart Repair
Scientists have engineered dual-membrane nanoparticles that home in on heart tissue after a heart attack, delivering regenerative molecules while evading the body’s immune defences. Myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack, is a [...]
Natural Compound Combo Restores Aging Brain Cells
Scientists have identified a natural compound combination that reverses aging-related brain cell decline and removes harmful Alzheimer’s-linked proteins. The treatment, combining nicotinamide (vitamin B3) and the green tea antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate, restores guanosine triphosphate [...]
Silver Nanoparticles Get a Green Makeover: An Eco-Friendly Way to Target Diabetes
Researchers have developed an eco-friendly method to produce silver nanoparticles from the roots of Martynia annua, showing strong antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential while avoiding the toxic by-products of conventional synthesis. Silver nanoparticles are particularly popular in research because [...]
Quantum Breakthrough: Scientists Find “Backdoor” to 60-Year-Old Superconducting Mystery
A Copenhagen team has unlocked a clever “backdoor” into studying rare quantum states once thought beyond reach. Scientists at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, have discovered a new approach for investigating rare [...]
3D-Printed Nylon Filters With Titanium Dioxide For Greywater Treatment
A team of researchers has developed a novel water filtration system that combines nanotechnology with 3D printing, aiming to create a low-cost, sustainable solution for greywater treatment. As reported in Micro & Nano Letters, the study demonstrates this [...]
New COVID variant ‘Stratus’ is spreading in the U.S. and worldwide
A new COVID variant is climbing the ranks in the U.S., becoming the third-most common strain of the summer. Variant XFG, colloquially known as "Stratus," was first detected in Southeast Asia in January but [...]
Fat Molecule May Control How You Feel Emotion
Key Questions Answered Q: What did researchers discover about the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor? A: They mapped how it activates different brain signaling pathways, offering insight into how mood and emotion are regulated at the [...]
Nanodevice uses sound to sculpt light, paving the way for better displays and imaging
Light can behave in very unexpected ways when you squeeze it into small spaces. In a paper in the journal Science, Mark Brongersma, a professor of materials science [...]
ChatGPT helps speed up patient screening for clinical trials
A new study in the academic journal Machine Learning: Health discovers that ChatGPT can accelerate patient screening for clinical trials, showing promise in reducing delays and improving trial success rates. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Centre used [...]
