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Are people sincere, or profiting off of "Pessimism Porn"?

Updated on March 28, 2012

Some people thrive off of bad news.

Introduction.

OPINION| It's no secret that he global economy has undergone quite a few changes in recent years. Many countries have faced economic woes, but the United States in particular has been even more greatly affected. The United States of America is viewed as the greatest nation in the world by many. In late 2007, early 2008, the United States fell into a deep recession. This sudden downturn left a shock wave of economic consequences. Banks failed, major car companies filed for bankruptcy, and many everyday Americans lost their jobs. Unemployment skyrocketed to almost 10 percent, leaving people wondering when would the cycle of bad news stop. During this time many economists made predictions about where the global economy was headed. A term also became popular during this time; it's called "pessimism porn". In this article I'm going to discuss what pessimism porn is, and whether or not some are using it to only make money. Please read on.

What is "pessimism porn"?

The way to best describe pessimism porn is the becoming addicted to apocalyptic news regarding the economy. Most people who believe the economy isn't going to recover or have in their heads that a total economic collapse will happen, are pessimism porn followers. These are people who spend much of their time online watching videos and reading articles regarding the negative state of global affairs. The popularity of pessimism porn has spawned a movement of people to prepare for a catastrophic economic event. You see a lot of these people purchasing weapons, can goods, and other survival essentials in order to be prepared for any type of emergency event. Names like Gerald Celente, Max Keiser, and Peter Schiff are popular names when it comes to pessimism porn. They, along with many other economists and trend forecasters have made many predictions regarding the global economy and financial markets.

Example of pessimism porn.

I recall watching a video back in 2009 on Youtube that featured popular trends forecaster, Gerald Celente. Celente is an author, business consultant, and publisher of the Trends Journal. He has made predictions regarding global financial markets and other historical past events. In this video that I'm referring to, Celente predicted that we were going to see an economic collapse in the latter part of 2009. He predicted that this collapse would be worse than The Great Depression terming it "The Greatest Depression". Well here we are in 2012, and there hasn't been a total collapse of the economy. At least not to the effect he and others have mentioned. Yes the global economy has not totally recovered, and there are still troubling signs that we are not out of the water yet. However, things have yet if at all ended up like many of these guys have predicted. It makes me wonder if these guys are using pessimism porn as a way to make a profit. I have posted the video that I'm referring to below.

Gerald Celente on the "Worst economic collapse ever".

Everyday people engaging in pessimism porn.

The messages of pessimism porn are not only being spread by popular economists who study the economy for a living. Due to the message and it's growing popularity, everyday average Americans are talking about pessimism porn. There are countless videos on Youtube and blogging sites of everyday people getting the word out about news we don't see on television. What many of these people won't tell you about is the money they are making off of their blogs and Youtube channels. Some of these individuals have sponsors who are helping them fund their blogs to spread the message of negative current events. Many of these companies who sponsor blogs and video channels are companies that would profit from people preparing for a economic collapse. A prime example of this are companies who encourage people to buy and invest in gold. I'm in no way saying that all people who blog about troubling times are doing it strictly for buck, but it does make some people wonder a bit.

Summary.

I will admit that Celente and others have been right about a lot of the predictions they have made.I personally don't have a problem with people who tune into pessimism porn. I will admit that I watch it sometimes myself. It's great to be informed about a variety of topics whether good or bad. However, just like anything else in life, too much of it can be a bad thing. There is already enough negativity in the world, so we don't need anymore if it can be prevented. I have a great deal of respect for guys like Gerald Celente, Peter Schiff, and other everyday people who take the initiative to make bold predictions that aren't mainstream. However, I hope they are doing it to keep people informed, and not strictly for monetary gains. Tell me what you think about the topic of pessimism porn. I would love to see what others think on this topic. Thanks for reading.

Were you familiar with the term "pessimism porn" before reading this article?

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