Devotion that is Dragged by Economic Reality

Generation Z today lives at an uneasy crossroads. Many of them have worked, but are not really established. There is income, but not enough to be called prosperous. Ironically, at a relatively young age, life’s responsibilities actually come more quickly: parents who have to be helped, household needs, and family economic burdens that cannot be postponed.

In the midst of these conditions, the value of devotion to parents remains a strong moral guide. Making parents happy is believed to be the key to sustenance and the door to a blessed life. This value is not wrong, in fact it is an important foundation in social and spiritual life. However, problems arise when the meaning of devotion is reduced to a single measure: financial capability.

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In today’s social reality, devotion is often measured by how much someone is able to give materially. The measure of a child’s success shifts from attitude, responsibility and seriousness to nominal. As a result, many Gen Z who have big intentions and a high work ethic actually feel like they have failed, simply because economic conditions are not yet possible. Hard work is not always directly proportional to a decent income, while the work system often normalizes low wages in the name of “process” and “learning”.

A critical question arises, does devotion to parents always have to be paid with money?

Tebuireng Magazine

Ideally, filial piety is an attitude of life, seriousness in caring, concern, and a commitment to take responsibility according to one’s abilities. However, economic realities force these noble values ​​to clash with practical needs. Life today is almost impossible to live without money. The costs of health, education and basic needs continue to increase. Advice about sincerity often sounds beautiful, but feels lame when faced with the harsh and unfriendly realities of life.

However, a life that is completely measured by money does not solve the problem. Many people are materially sufficient, but mentally fragile. This is where prayer and blessings still have an important place—not just religious symbols, but mental support in the midst of life’s uncertainties. Parents’ blessings provide psychological strength that cannot always be replaced by numbers.

The problem is, the younger generation is often forced to choose between economic realism and spiritual values, as if the two cannot possibly go hand in hand. In fact, this pressure is born from a contradictory social system. On the one hand, the younger generation is asked to be patient, process and be filial. On the other hand, they are required to quickly become established, be financially independent, and be able to support their family.

This condition creates collective fatigue. Gen Z is not a generation that refuses responsibility, but a generation that is burdened with too many demands in too short a time. They are in the building phase, but are forced to act as if they have already arrived.

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Therefore, criticism should be directed at the way society assesses success in life. As long as devotion is only measured in material terms, the younger generation will continue to live in guilt. As long as hard work is not properly rewarded, advice about patience will sound like a justification for inequality. And as long as prayer is used as an escape without being accompanied by structural justice, blessings are felt as a moral burden, not hope.

Devotion to parents should not systemically impoverish children. Prayer and blessings should strengthen the struggle, not replace social responsibility. And money, while important, should not be the sole measure of human worth.

Generation Z needs space to grow, not just be judged. They need a fair system, not just normative advice. Life cannot go on without money, but a life that loses meaning will also lose direction.

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Between economic demands and spiritual values, Gen Z continues to walk, not because they are weak, but because they are not given many choices. So what needs to be improved is not only the mentality of the younger generation, but also the way society and the system interpret devotion, sustenance and success in life.

Writer: trough
Editor: Rara Zarary