​These Rich Kids Of Instagram Posts Are Having Devastating Consequences

There's always something fascinating about being able to see how the other half lives, whether it's an old episode of MTV's Cribs, watching people bang on about their first world problems in shows like Made in Chelsea or gawping at Rich Kids of Instagram posts on social media.

But is there a dangerous side to all this public bragging? In Iran, very much so.

The country has recently erupted into a flurry of protests, driven by anger towards everything from the government to the national economic hardships. Ultimately, though, it all boils down to one enemy, and that's the wealthy elite that has benefited from the top-down theocratic system (where religion plays a large part in how a country is governed).

That includes the Iranian millennials that are far from shy and retiring about their extreme wealth.

The LA Times used the popular Rich Kids of Tehran Instagram page as an example, explaining that it's where "attractive 20-somethings flaunt $1,000 Hermes sandals and frolic poolside at lavish mansions in a capital where, perhaps in another part of town, the desperate hawk their own kidneys to feed their families."

The posts often feature expensive cars, extravagant mansions, seemingly non-stop luxury holidays and ridiculous birthday parties - all designed to make us feel like total peasants by comparison.

One of the most famous Rich Kids of Tehran is Saman Ghasemzadeh, who has hundreds of thousands of followers. He'll film himself jewellery shopping, share photos of him partying with friends and take about a zillion selfies to showcase his lavish lifestyle.

In a piece for The New York Times, Iranian journalist Amir Ahmadi Arian said: "Wealthy young Iranians act like a new aristocratic class unaware of the sources of their wealth."

Amir added: "They brazenly drive Porsches and Maseratis through the streets of Tehran before the eyes of the poor and post about their wealth on Instagram."

Such brash flaunting has become a driving force for the protests, flagging the country's inequality - which reached breaking point after President Hassan Rouhani introduced an austerity budget.

And while working class protesters can be heard shouting 'Death to Rouhani' and 'Death to the dictator', as Business Insider reports, in the past the Rich Kids of Tehran Twitter account has been very supportive of President Rouhani and the Iranian government.

Topics: Iran, World News, News, Rich Kids Of Instagram, Politics

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman