Are they? Maybe I missed some commercials or in-game ads, but I never got that impression. Seems to me like that’s something people bring with them into the game.
Moreover, you can tell players the truth -and not just that it takes years to fly titans. The truth is that you don’t need to fly expensive ships to get kills or have fun, nor should they feel compelled to grind for imaginary crap they don’t actually need.
Also, you might be interested in this thread.