A woman has sparked a conversation about salaries in India after arguing that social media has changed people’s perception of what constitutes a “normal” income. She pointed out that seeing posts from unusually high earners online can make even strong salaries appear ordinary, leading people to compare themselves with unrealistic benchmarks.
Taking to Instagram, the woman shared the video on her account, @paisokiseekh, questioning the growing tendency to dismiss annual packages of ₹12 lakh or ₹20 lakh as average while treating exceptionally high incomes as increasingly common.
‘Do you even know what all can be done with ₹2 lakh?’
In the clip, she is heard saying, “Someone has a 12 LPA package? Okay, fresher salary. Someone has a 20 LPA package? Decent. Someone has 30? Bro, give me a referral. Then some people will show up and say, 'I am only 22 and I earn 2 lakh per month.' Bro, 'only'? Do you even know what all can be done with 2 lakh?”
{{/usCountry}}In the clip, she is heard saying, “Someone has a 12 LPA package? Okay, fresher salary. Someone has a 20 LPA package? Decent. Someone has 30? Bro, give me a referral. Then some people will show up and say, 'I am only 22 and I earn 2 lakh per month.' Bro, 'only'? Do you even know what all can be done with 2 lakh?”
{{/usCountry}}She went on to argue that earning ₹1 lakh a month should not be considered the new normal simply because social media is filled with people talking about much higher salaries.
“But honestly speaking, 1 lakh is not the new normal. Our perception of normal has changed because social media will never show you an average person. It shows you only the top earners in their respective fields. So, think twice before comparing your salary to anyone on social media,” she added.
The video was shared with the caption, “Is 1 lakh per month the new normal?”
Watch the clip here:
Social media users react
The post prompted reactions from viewers, with several agreeing that online content can create an unrealistic picture of salaries and career growth.
One user wrote, “Social media has completely distorted salary expectations.” Another added, “Not everyone on social media represents reality.” A third viewer echoed the sentiment, saying, “Social media makes exceptional salaries look normal.” Agreeing with the woman’s message, another simply commented, “This is so true.”
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)