I think two competing agendas are in conflict. There's the "we're smart and independent and can make our own decisions even if they harm us" one, and it's running up against this other thing that goes "we're powerless and defenseless and easily brainwashed and need to be babysat" which is used as a cudgel to put unambitious people into positions of more financial security. If you trace their usage carefully enough you can almost reverse-engineer a person's yearly income.