Institute for Family Studies data linked young male day trading to failure rates close to compulsive gamblers, while South Korean brokerage analyses showed younger men underperforming with higher portfolio turnover.
A survey of 2,000 American men aged 18-29 found that 25% qualified as day traders, underscoring how frequent stock speculation has become among young retail investors. The sharper signal was mental health: 64% of day traders said they felt like a failure, nearly matching the 66% reported by compulsive gamblers, as Bloomberg said the boundary between gambling and investing is increasingly blurred for young men under pressure in education, employment, and wealth-building. The survey by the Institute for Family Studies also suggested day trading is more common among students and conservative respondents. The share was 38% among current students, versus 14% among graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher, while conservative investors registered 31% compared with 22% for progressive investors. Bloomberg said academics, analysts, and billionaires are watching warning signs among struggling young men, particularly as retail stock trading volume in the United States has doubled over the past 15 years and options trading has climbed to record levels. Critics cited mobile trading platforms such as Robinhood and Interactive Brokers as encouraging a gambling mindset among Gen Z. Bloomberg added that young people shut out of homeownership or broader economic success are increasingly turning to stocks, options, cryptocurrencies, and prediction markets to pursue returns. Michael Burry responded on social media, saying, "Not surprising at all." The article said a similar pattern is visible in South Korea. Mirae Asset Securities found that from January to May this year, men in their 30s with balances above 1 million won, or about $704, posted cumulative returns of 27.01%, the weakest among age and gender groups, while men aged 70 and older delivered the highest returns at 42.1%. Analysts pointed to portfolio turnover rate (how often holdings are traded) as the key divider: men in their 30s had the highest average rate at 58.5%, compared with 27.3% for men in their 70s, the lowest. Older investors tended to hold large-cap blue-chip stocks such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and Hyundai Motor for the long term, while younger men favored growth and theme stocks and traded more aggressively. NH Investment & Securities' 2025 investor analysis echoed that pattern, with women aged 60 and older posting the best returns and men in their 20s ranking last.