For our ancestors, being more popular was a survival advantage. Social status offered greater group protection and longevity, which means that they were more likely to reproduce.

Professor Cameron Anderson explained that status influences how we behave and think.

Dr Sabina Siebert from the University of Glasgow found that when faced with competition from other professions, barristers protected their prestige with the use of status symbols including professional dress, ceremonies and rituals. She concluded that this allowed “elite professionals to maintain their superior status.”

Eugene Wei, who has worked in media, technology and for consumer internet companies, wrote that social media is built on the idea that it offers an efficient way to accumulate social capital.

In his book Status Anxiety, philosopher Alain de Botton writes that the anxiety about what others think of us and about whether we are judged a success or a failure can lead us to make decisions that are self-defeating, lower our self-worth, or are at odds with our values.

If you decline opportunities for personal growth or self-discovery while striving for status, you could progress fast, but not in the right direction.

Take time to consider whether the goal or motivation is truly aligned to your values, or if you are being coerced by a desire for prestige.

find friends online and in real life who are not playing the status game. This will help to avoid feelings of inadequacy and the desire to keep up with others.

Reserve time to read memoirs and biographies of those who have achieved their dreams not by striving for wealth or status, but by reflecting on what is important to them and following their own path.