FWP Syndrome
Have you ever
heard about FWP syndrome? If not, let's read all the following situations and
check if you are already familiar with them. I can bet you are!
·
You wonder why the Google Translator doesn't work on the binary code.
·
Your phone is dying, but the charger is in another room.
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You've got the full fridge, but you're still hungry.
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Your closet is full of clothes, but still, you've got nothing to wear.
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You want to fast forward the commercials, but it's not possible - you're
watching live TV.
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You've got no Internet, because your neighbour changed the WiFi
password.
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You're not sure if you should eat breakfast or lunch after you got up at
noon.
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You came to McDonalds too late for the breakfast offer.
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You're really hungry but also too lazy to get up.
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You want to change a channel but also you don't want to move to get the
remote control.
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You poured cereals into a bowl without checking if there's enough milk. There
wasn't.
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The software update requires to restart the computer.
You have probably
already realised that FWP is no other thing than First World Problems syndrome.
This term was firstly used in 1979, but it became popular in 2005 thanks to the
social media such as twitter or tumblr, where it is commonly used as a tag to trivial problems. As the official dictionary states,
these are the problems from living in a
wealthy, industrialized nation that third worlders would probably roll their
eyes at. The use of it is aimed at shaming the complainer as well as it's
recognized as good-humored self-deprecation. Nowadays this phenomenon is
considered to be epidemic, especially in North
America, UK and Australia.
The video presented below was made after the music video shown above gained recognition . It shows the citizens of the developing
world quoting complaints. It is to increase common awareness of the problems that
touch upon many people that are just like us,
beyond the fact that they suffer from the lack of luck. Of course, struggles of
people living in developed countries will never be the same as the ones of
citizens of still developing ones; of course, we also have hard times, it is inevitable. But maybe, after realizing that it's
not that bad, we will think 10 times before we get
upset because Starbucks got our ordered coffee wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxyhfiCO_XQ
·
How familiar are you with the ideas presented in the song? (here you can
find the lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/weirdalyankovic/firstworldproblems.html
)
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What emotions does the song evoke in you?
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Has your interpretation of the topic changed after deeper consideration?
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Has any solution come
to your mind while watching the presentation?
Sources:
"Your phone is dying, but the charger is in another room."
ReplyDelete"The software update requires to restart the computer."
And more:
"You've got the full fridge, but you don't know what you should eat."
"One pillow is too low. Two pillows is too high."
"I don't have enough dip for my chips. But if I open another container, I won't have enough chips for my dip."
So yes! I've got FWP Syndrome. But I guess I'm too lazy to do anything about it.
At the beginning I thought that's the real problem, but now... not so much. So what my answer on your presentation?
http://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/59684453.jpg
Good presentation, though (Y)
I'm glad you like it :) So as you're familiar with the topic of FWP syndrome, do you think that not only is it a laziness but also a global problem? That our problems are meaningless in comparison with the ones of people from developing countries so it is our thing to stop complaining on such irrelevant issues?
DeleteI think that FWP is (in most) problem of polish people. Why? We still complaining! More than 50% of us are returning home and says: "Łojej! Ale jestem zmęczony". They even don't bother to ask themselves "am I tired?". They just start to complain. That's the main problem in my opinion. Bad attitude. They feel tired because they think they tired.
DeleteSo we're lazy because of our attitude to everything. Don't you think?
I fully agree that polish people don't enjoy their lives, they always find someting to complain about. We look to much on the other people, we're focused way to much on being jealous instead of start doing sth in order to improve our life standards.
Delete"You've got the full fridge, but you're still hungry."
ReplyDeleteThis can mean you have bought food you don't like :P
"Your closet is full of clothes, but still, you've got nothing to wear."
Definitely a women problem :D I use this algorithm:
1. search clothes that are clean
2. wear them
" You've got no Internet, because your neighbour changed the WiFi password."
Really...? This is a thief problem...
"You're really hungry but also too lazy to get up."
:D The first I could assign to myself
"The software update requires to restart the computer."
Ok this is the second.
But I really don't get it. Should we go back to the past with the progress of our civilization? It's normal that we have other problems than "third world countries". Additionally I think, that some of the "problems" are created only in people minds and never exist in reality.
Very interesting article, thanks! The song show me that some situations with me appear too, just as I am wrong ;) Unfortunately we can't escape from syndrome. I think it is acquired.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I didn't hear that this "problems" have general title. Thanks for making me aware of that.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I follow up what Hubert wrote. In fact, these problems are not problems. They exist because of our laziness. And that is really worrying me.
Whether that statements are related to me? Of course. But whenever I thought that I'm too lazy to do that or that, I try to punch my brain with a constructive thought "It can't be that way". Mostly it works.
Most of these situations applies to every human being, people are lazy and love to spend money. Therefore, we can not find clothes in the wardrobe full of clothes, or food in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, sometimes I notice similar behavior also at my home, but in the end we are all just people. According to me there is no chance of extirpation such "behavior" because laziness is second nature of humans:)
ReplyDeleteYes! I totally agree with this comment. Every time when I open fridge full of food I can't find anything to eat or when I open closet full of clothes I can't find anything to wear.
DeleteArticle is very funny. Why? Because it realizes that part of problems is true. This may be the reason that we are increasingly empty. We put to much value on material things. Most of us strives to financial wealth, to be able to satisfy material needs. This all lead to strange, funny syndromes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for an interesting article! I didn't know that such a syndrome exists and has its own name.
ReplyDeleteI think that FWP syndrome is closely linked to the development of civilization. People are becoming more and more lazy.
What I think about these people? In my opinion, they don't have real problems, so they look for meaningless problems. In addition, they don't have motivation and ambition to do something meaningful and useful. They are just very lazy and selfish, think only about themselves. Generally I don't understand these people who just complain about everything.
Of course, each of us probably sometimes complain for trivial things. There's nothing wrong, but until we don't treat it as first world problem.
Personally I didn't hear about this, that it had name.
ReplyDeleteBut what is happening have relationship with laziness, but also from what is world... everything is changing, we have't got any time to nothing, and simpe things are difficult for us.
The FWP syndrome is clearly a joke, an ironic visualisation of the difference between the modern, developed world, and the one that's not quite there yet. And it's a mockery of the spoiled kids that live on their loaded parents' money, not knowing what the "real" problems are.
ReplyDeleteBut that doesn't mean that the developed countries are problem-free and we should now point all our interest and effort in helping the Third World. If a person's life situation is worse than mine, it doesn't make my problems suddenly disappear. That's why the video did not evoke any kind of strong emotions in me. There are already plenty of organizations that see to these issues, I don't need my awareness raised as I am already aware of the situation.
I agree that some people have serious problems considering they can't handle such simple situations, people are getting more and more lazy, this post looks like a joke, but is actually very common for people who can't do anything productive but use Facebook or other snapchat for the whole day.
ReplyDeleteOh! I had this when i want to swtich off my computer at work, but he is needed to update for 20 min..... Even picture for this
ReplyDeletehttps://images.nonexiste.net/popular/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/First-world-problems-.jpeg
I have many situations that were mentioned in my life, coz sometimes i feel too lazy to doing something. For example switch off lights when lying on the bed :)
In Poland FWP is a problem. Polish people always complain. I think it is the problem because we don't think about that what is happening in Afrika where people don't have water (I mean that what you show at the end of presentation). People should think how to change that situation and stop thinking about that how they have hard life.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many people in worse situation and probably they are more happy then people with FWP.
I heard about it, interestingly 'First world problem', has become a internet meme. We should be happy that we live in the first world and we don't have so many problems of hunger , wars and diseases like people from third world. On the other hand, we should be aware of how some of our problems are stupid and that it could be worse.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid most of us already have it, only difference is level. I don't plug my charger while my phone is dying even I can reach it without getting up. The only solution I found is to convince yourself to do thing imidietaly, not wait till last moment.
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ. I lol'ed, literally. It so ridiculous :D Is it really happening in the real world ? I don't have ANY problems like that...
ReplyDeleteOrigins are of course the world we are living in - no troubles, no wars, no hunger. So we create new 'problems' - so, I am not familiar with those problems and for your second question - really I laughed because it's so stupid for us to dramatize over things.
No, It didn't really change - because I feel that way - you know it's good that we have that kind of problems instead of war for example - but it's still stupid. We will always dramatize over things.
I don't thing I have that syndrom. When I don't want to do something, I just don't do it. I'm not complaining about how my fate is bad and all the odds are against me.
ReplyDeleteAnd as Hubert said, the problems are changing with the technological and civilisational progress. I hate all those people telling me any of my problems are of no meaning because some third world people are dying from hunger. It's their problem, if I want I can support them, but in my world my problems are important for me and nothing can change it. My reaction can differ, and I can decide that some things are not meaningful, that when I get no breakfast in MCdonalds I shouldn't worry about it and just go to another restaurant. But these are still real problems. Looking from a different perspective these third world people don't worry about multiple of my real problems, like constant fight for job and dying out of stress when one works long night hours for a minimum wage and doesn't have money for food. Or any other situation compared to this. We have our problems they have their ones and we should never tell anyone that their problems are stupid or negligible. People differ and it's up to them to worry about what they want. It's just important not to come to a situation, when for example one is meeting with us and complaining that their sister died and we say we have overwhelming problems as well - our phone charger broke. Just evaluate a problem in reference to the current situation.
That is so true! :D I didn't know that this is some kind of syndrome and even has a name hahah Almost all situations happen in my life for example situation that I'm to lazy to get up from bed and switch off the light. I solved that problem very easily! I have a remote control for light in my room which lies next to my bed :D But actually I'm not considering it as a problem. We live in 21 century so if we can have remote control for light so why not to have it??? Maybe that's one example and doesn't exactly explain the problem but now I will pay attention when I will be doing some of things mentioned in article.
ReplyDelete· How familiar are you with the ideas presented in the song?
ReplyDelete"I don't have any bills in my wallet small enough for the vending machine" - this line is closest to my experiences, although I'm more often like "I don't have any petty cash for the vending machine", to be honest. ;)
· What emotions does the song evoke in you?
What can I say? I just love Weird Al Yankovic. :)
· Has your interpretation of the topic changed after deeper consideration?
No, still think that people are exaggerating about their little problems. And when I say people, I think about myself, as well.
· Has any solution come to your mind while watching the presentation?
We should try to empathize more with other people and not think about ourselves as the hubs of the universe.
I think everybody has that syndrome. This is quite funny. Also I had a lot of this sytuations, like I was really hungry, but also too lazy to get up and do something to eat. And every morning I never have anything to wear, but my closet is full of closthes. This is just interesing phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteI understand the message, which carries your presentation, and I know that many of these problems is downright pathetic but I would like to draw your attention to one thing - everyone has different problems and his life situation determines if the problem is serious or trivial. For one person damage to the phone is a first world problem, but if somebody worked a long time to buy such a phone, it is no wonder that he is sad. I'm not a fan of this song, although I know what its author had in mind. If FWP syndrome is to seek an ideal position to sleep, or proper clothes, then yes, you probably belong to this group of people
ReplyDeleteI guess that living in first world country is kinda lucky, but there are still things that we would like to change. Most of problems in the video are exaggerated, normal people don't have it, maybe just spoiled kids. But I think that we should care about our comfort, even if other people was less fortunate.
ReplyDeleteIts really funny and true article . Many people got this syndrome ( I got it too :) ) . I always heard from my friends : 'I wanna make this , but .... ' . In my opinion it is very popular in young society .
ReplyDelete