I don’t think you’re right, every generation since modernity seems equal in this regard, the latest generations don’t seem special.
But, I like this phrase “the generational zeitgeist is ostentatious abnegation”, so much that I’m going to use it in the future and pretend I do believe it. Thank you
The 80s was famously about conspicuous consumption. Not everyone then, and there plenty of it now, but the zeitgeist isn’t a statistical metric.
Definitely an interesting turn of phrase. Ironically, I think you've helped me understand why I might be wrong about some of the metaverse hype: while I steadfastly believe that people prefer the real world, moving consumption to a fake world (e.g., buying an NFT handbag for your digital avatar) would fall into this category of behavior. In effect, paying as much to own a fake good as the real thing is loudly saying, "Look at what I could have purchased if I were less virtuous."