What did Soviet citizens observe, leading to their changing perceptions?

The economic advancement of the West and disparities with their system

Answer: The economic advancement of the West and disparities with their system
Soviet citizens became more knowledgeable about the economic advance of the West and noticed disparities with their own system.

The Soviet economy used much of its resources in maintaining a nuclear and military arsenal and the development of its satellite states in Eastern Europe and within the Soviet system (the five Central Asian Republics in particular). This led to a huge economic burden that the system could not cope with. At the same time, ordinary citizens became more knowledgeable about the economic advance of the West. They could see the disparities between their system and the systems of the West. After years of being told that the Soviet system was better than Western capitalism, the reality of its backwardness came as a political and psychological shock.