Recently, inflation has felt like a buzzword. Constantly appearing on TV or on the nightly news, it might appear like a fresh trend. However, it isn’t new or exciting; in fact, it’s one of the most problematic issues shaping our world today.

Inflation is the result of money losing its value. Since most people earn their money through wages or salaries, this can pose a problem. When prices rise ever higher and their pay stays the same, they won’t be able to afford the services and amenities they once had, despite working just as hard.

Although that may be surprising, inflation is much harder to notice. This is because demand-pull inflation is most commonly to blame. When business owners cannot meet the demand for goods, they raise the price. This can happen when too much currency is distributed, or when there aren’t enough goods sold. Either way, the price goes up, and the product becomes rarer.

However, do CdM students truly understand this rising force in our economy? Let’s dive into our community and speak with a few students.

Nashan Brown is a 9th grader here at CdM. “I’ve heard of inflation on everything,” he started. Especially hyperinflation, which he mentioned how after World War I, “in Germany, they owed the allies a lot of money, so they printed a ton of money,” before noting the colossal dive in value of the Rentenmark, Germany’s currency at the time. “At the peak of it,” Nashan continued, “one U.S. dollar was worth 4 trillion German marks.”

Another 9th grader, Christophe Letourneau, also had something to say. He started by defining inflation as essentially “the value of the dollar going down in value,” in some way. Later, he talked about Venezuela, making some remarks about the severe hyperinflation there, which has been caused by severe overreliance on the oil industry.

In the end, inflation acts like a slow-moving conveyor belt—holding back the middle class and pushing people into poverty. For students today, this isn’t just about the past, but their very own future that lies ahead.