It’s 2023, Stop Shaming People for Having Different Definitions of ‘Luxury’

Another day another drama and this time it’s the internet vs. an innocent 17-year-old and her brand-new “first luxury bag.” When Pinay teen Zoe Gabriel posted her Charles & Keith unboxing on Tiktok she was shamed by comments saying it wasn’t a “luxury” brand. It’s 2023, and with everything going on, why are we still dictating what other people’s definition of luxury should be? Why do people still make a big deal out of things that won’t affect them?

Tiktok shames Pinay teen for luxury bag

@zohtacothank you dad 🥹♬ Glitch – Just audios

Singapore-based Filipina teen Zoe Gabriel excitedly shared with her followers her first luxury bag. She pulled out a Charles & Keith Double Handle Tote Bag gifted by her father, saying that it was the most expensive thing she owns (the bag is worth SGD 79.90 or around PHP3,300). But apparently, you can’t have nice things on the internet. Her Tiktok unboxing, which has now garnered 9 million views, soon had random strangers commenting about how Charles & Keith wasn’t a luxury brand.

“Who’s gonna tell her?” read one particular mocking comment. It has since been deleted but not before Zoe had the chance to address it in a separate video.

@zohtaco Replying to @cressy ♬ original sound – zoe 🦋

“Money is the topic that makes me most uncomfortable to talk about,” she said. “And that is because growing up, I did not have a lot. My family didn’t have a lot.”

The 17-year-old went on to tell stories of how her family struggled financially in the past. Even buying from the Singaporean brand BreadTalk was a luxury for them.

“Your comment spoke volumes on how ignorant you seem because of your wealth. To you, an SGD 80 bag may not be a luxury but for me and my family, it is a lot. And I am so grateful that my dad was able to get me one. He worked so hard for that money,” she continues, slowly tearing up.

“I can’t believe I got hate over a bag that I was so excited to have,” said Zoe.

Why do people keep making a big deal out of things that don’t affect them?

Idk why the TikTok girl got so much hate for posting a video of her getting a Charles & Keith bag and calling it a luxury thing.

Luxury is subjective. And no matter how successful you are throughout the years , some things remain a luxury to the old you.

— Dr Nimelesh (@HausofHilton) January 10, 2023

It’s 2023, and we seem to be evolving backward as a society. What happened to Zoe is solid proof of strangers on the internet thinking they’re entitled to leave mean comments on another stranger’s life. She isn’t the first victim and she wouldn’t be the last either. The audacity is frankly appalling, but that’s the price we pay for global connectivity.

What these rude folks are forgetting is that we all live different lives and don’t have the same opportunities. One person born with a silver spoon in their mouth might define luxury as treating themselves to a Birkin, but for others, a Charles & Keith bag is the dream. Another person could be perfectly content with calling a brand-new Divisoria backpack a luxury. Newsflash: People have different priorities and therefore have different definitions of luxury. It’s simply subjective.

“Just because you’re not ‘well off’ doesn’t mean you don’t deserve or cannot have nice things. You can!” said Zoe in another video. “For some of us, it might take a little bit longer to get to them.”

@zohtacothank you everybody &lt3 also a reminder that everyone’s life experiences and financial circumstance will be different from yours :) remember that what is cheap for you may be everything to another 😃👍🏻♬ original sound – zoe 🦋

Besides, people shouldn’t make a big deal out of things that won’t affect them. If you see someone ecstatic after buying an item they’ve saved up for, something you can buy on a whim, is it such a chore to be happy for them? Or if you weren’t impressed, is it physically impossible to scroll past their post? Let people be happy with what they have! Life is already hard enough as it is.

In the end, the internet still did its magic

Twitter what’s her @ !!! I’ve got a luxury bag(s) with her name on it !! https://t.co/v9Mr2QPPGJ

— Wisdom Kaye (@modsiwW) January 11, 2023

After everything Zoe had to go through, the internet came to her aid with thousands of positive comments. Even American model Wisdom Kaye wanted to make her feel better: “Twitter what’s her @ !!! I’ve got a luxury bag(s) with her name on it !!” It just shows that even though one side of the internet could be filled with bashers and naysayers, there’s another side that strikes hope for humanity.

Ultimately, although the internet had ill intentions at first, it actually blessed Zoe with new experiences. Her video reached the team behind Charles & Keith, who then invited Zoe and her father to have lunch with the brand’s founders and tour their headquarters in Singapore.

Talking to the Straits Times, the Charles & Keith spokesperson said “Our heart really went out to Zoe, but we were so impressed with (how gracefully) she handled the situation, displaying wisdom far beyond her years and values that resonated with us greatly.”

Although the internet could reach absurd levels of spite for no reason, it could also be a space for positivity. A place where you can see even the tiniest spark of humanity shining through.

What do you think about this Pinay teen luxury bag issue? Share your thoughts with us below!

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