First World problem is an informal term for the issues in First World nations that are complained about in response to the perceived absence of more pressing concerns. [1] It has been called a subset of the fallacy of relative privation and is also used to acknowledge gratefulness for not having worse problems, such as those in the Second or Third Worlds. [2] It has been used to minimize complaints about trivial issues and shame the complainer, to generate humour at the expense of first world culture, [3] and as good-humored self-deprecation. [4]
The term First World problem first appeared in 1979 in G. K. Payne's work Built Environment, [4] but gained recognition as an Internet meme beginning in 2005, particularly on social networking sites like Twitter (where it became a popular hashtag). [5] [6] In 2012, UNICEF NZ conducted a survey of First World problems in New Zealand, finding "slow web access" to be the most common. [7] The phrase was added to the Oxford Dictionary Online in November 2012, [8] and to the online Macquarie Dictionary in December 2012. [9]
Things that have been cited as being First World problems include:
First World problem is an informal term for the issues in First World nations that are complained about in response to the perceived absence of more pressing concerns. [1] It has been called a subset of the fallacy of relative privation and is also used to acknowledge gratefulness for not having worse problems, such as those in the Second or Third Worlds. [2] It has been used to minimize complaints about trivial issues and shame the complainer, to generate humour at the expense of first world culture, [3] and as good-humored self-deprecation. [4]
The term First World problem first appeared in 1979 in G. K. Payne's work Built Environment, [4] but gained recognition as an Internet meme beginning in 2005, particularly on social networking sites like Twitter (where it became a popular hashtag). [5] [6] In 2012, UNICEF NZ conducted a survey of First World problems in New Zealand, finding "slow web access" to be the most common. [7] The phrase was added to the Oxford Dictionary Online in November 2012, [8] and to the online Macquarie Dictionary in December 2012. [9]
Things that have been cited as being First World problems include: