My boss once said, in front of all staff that it's proven that more money doesn't make people happy, and I suggested that we swap out paychecks. She laughed, nobody else did.
It's also possible that they work people until they die, as all the AI from companies communicate and if you get fired from one, you can't get work anymore. People are a resource that keeps regenerating after all.
I know many people, including me, that fall victim to the manipulation of advertising.
Back in the olden days, it was "here is my product, and this is the price, if you like it buy from this store"
Now it's not just the actual ad, it's product placement in tv and movies, celebrity endorsement, influencers, and all that.
Just remember that advertising costs money, and that is in the price of the product. Products that don't advertise can easily be better value.
I remember the bananas. They were 1-2 dollars a kilo for a long time. Then there was flooding and storms on the banana farms. Prices went up over 10 dollars a kilo. People complained but were told, it was the natural disaster and it's going to come down. Years later bananas haven't been cheaper than 4 dollars a kilo.
Supermarkets found the sweet spot where people would still buy bananas, and they make the most profit.
I use Zerotier. I have a rpi sharing my Linux isos through a commercial VPN. The RPI has Zerotier as well as my other devices, so I can connect to it from anywhere as if it was on my home network.
My boss once said, in front of all staff that it's proven that more money doesn't make people happy, and I suggested that we swap out paychecks. She laughed, nobody else did.