All the texts in the UI for the new lifestyle needs strongly hint that the lifestyle needs are in all essence optional to fulfil and are safe to be left off. However, I just received a newspaper penalty from missing spectacles on a New World island. (All the lifestyle needs on that island are still paused.) This seems like a bug to me. I don't think it's intentional that the game would penalize in any way from not fulfilling the lifestyle needs.
(This is similar to the bug reported here, but in this case the needs are actually there, just not activated.)