Conversations around money were always sensitive when I was growing up.

It was understood that you didn’t bring up the subject to anyone beyond your immediate family.

Social media has shattered old taboos, turning the topic of money on its head.

It’s a dynamic that’s gotten some people, often celebrities, in trouble.

Think Ellen DeGeneres describing enduringquarantine in her mansion as like “being in jail.”

But there’s no indication the trend toward publicly displaying your wealth is slowing down.

More than ever, people feel comfortable sharing the details of their finances.

Financial exhibitionism is a natural extension of how social media has opened windows into our lives.

We’ve been enticed to share more and more details, and we do.

The show of wealth creates an unattainable ideal for some, including the individual who made the post.

There’s a danger to the blurring of those lines between reality and performance.

That’s particularly dangerous when it comes to the perception of an affluent lifestyle.

Influencers make a career out of it.

These posts often garner angry backlashes.

The social element eggs you on through Reddit posts, adding fuel to the willingness to make wild bets.

Even simple transactions – groceries or beers – have been made social thanks to payment app Venmo.

By default, it makes your transactions, which include descriptions and emoji, public for anyone to see.

Venmo’s open style and ubiquity have generated headlines.

Meanwhile, I’m still leery about telling my mother how much I make.