One in four teenagers would buy cryptocurrencies if they were given money to invest

Some researchers have probed how North American teenagers perceive the stock market, cryptocurrency and other investments in the GameStop era. The results show that the popularity of cryptocurrencies among young people has surpassed that of some traditional asset classes, such as real estate: 25% of teens say they would invest in cryptocurrencies if they hypothetically received funds, compared to 24% who would invest in real estate. .

About 43% believe that the best bet would be to invest in the stock market, while 37% would refrain from investing at all.

These results were drawn from a survey conducted in mid-July by Junior Achievement and RSM US on a small sample of just over 1,000 teenagers, aged 13-17. 39% who had closely followed the GameStop saga agreed with the idea that investing in the stock market is a great way to make money fast, while 20% found stock trading too risky. However, 40% believe that stocks can be profitable as a long-term investment.

The authors of the survey aim to restore confidence in the stock market among teens, mitigating the negative image they may have after witnessing the fate of many users following the short squeeze and subsequent collapse of GameStop titles. Jack Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA, commented in this regard:

“These findings show that the recent ‘meme stock’ phenomenon could have a negative impact on teenagers’ perceptions of what it means to invest in the stock market. As the stock market plays an important role in helping countless Americans achieve a secure retirement, it’s important to help demystify it for the next generation. “

Come previously reported by Cointelegraph, in many areas of the world the millennial generation is becoming increasingly dependent on speculative investment to survive in an era of declining wages, uncertain labor markets and prohibitive property prices.

Earlier this year Lee Han Koo, a professor of economics at Suwon University in Korea, said the difficult socio-economic environment has given birth to many desperate young people who see day trading as “an unrepeatable opportunity“to escape their insurmountable financial precariousness.