Kashmir’s Vanity Economy

In the Valley, the pressure to flaunt a curated lifestyle online is distorting how people spend, save, and live. Under the glow of filtered reels and designer weddings, an economic strain is building—one that no hashtag can hide.

- Asra Altaf Koul

Walk into any wedding in Kashmir these days and you'll likely find drone cameras humming overhead, imported flowers draped across photo booths, and a crowd half-watching the bride, half-checking their phones.

Somewhere between the slow-motion entries and the “outfit of the day” reels, the celebration becomes a set. A performance. An online event first, a real one second.

This is the new currency in Kashmir: attention. But it’s being bought at a steep cost.

Social media has turned our lives into highlight reels, and many are scrambling to keep up. What used to be about connection has shifted to comparison. And in trying to look successful, too many are spending like they already are.

There's a term for this: Conspicuous consumption.

Buying to be seen, not because you need something. A new iPhone, luxury makeup, pricey shoes—none of it holds value beyond the post.

But in Kashmir, where jobs are scarce and incomes stretched, the show must go on. Even if it means loans, debts, and financial anxiety hidden behind filtered smiles.

I've seen it up close. A mid-level tech worker I spoke with recently bought a ₹1.5 lakh phone on EMI. "I need it for work," he said.