Risks of gamified markets: Are you ready for your next hit?

TRADING for kicks is a high-cost hobby, but increasingly gamified markets are conditioning the next generation to treat financial risk as a sport.

Recently, I gave an induction presentation to around 60 graduates who just joined the bank. Everyone was asked to share one word for how they were feeling; I said “old”. Part of this was just a bit of fun, as I joined the bank well before any of them were born.

However, I am also getting more worried about the outlook for the next generation. I am not sure how much of this is due to me getting older and worrying about newfangled technologies in general, and how much reflects justified concerns for what lies ahead.