Cryptocurrency, sports betting, future events betting, meme stocks, etc.
“Get rich quick” schemes aren’t new, but the information age quickly debunks them so they don’t have traction very long. This leaves the same “market” for people that are trying to get rich quick or with little effort. Legalized betting has made casual gambling social acceptable, and there are ready examples of people that have successfully gotten-rich-quick with crypto or meme stocks. The problem with this for most people is they don’t understand survivorship bias. The successful crypto-bros driving a McLaren and living in a multi-million dollar Miami penthouse aren’t the rule, but the exception. Behind them are thousand (millions?) of greater fools that tried to do the same thing and lost everything.
@TheFlopster@lemmy.world also rightfully pointed out the increasing levels of desperation of the working class. 40 years ago people would dream about what they’d do if they won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse $10m sweepstakes, but then return to reality that their future would require them to work and save for a comfortable life and retirement. These days most are carrying massive levels of debt well into middle age and even retirement years and have little to nothing saved. They’re staring down the barrel of their bodies failing from age, a paltry future income from Social Security, rising housing and food costs, and no solution besides hitting a jackpot.
“Get rich quick” schemes aren’t new, but the information age quickly debunks them so they don’t have traction very long. This leaves the same “market” for people that are trying to get rich quick or with little effort. Legalized betting has made casual gambling social acceptable, and there are ready examples of people that have successfully gotten-rich-quick with crypto or meme stocks. The problem with this for most people is they don’t understand survivorship bias. The successful crypto-bros driving a McLaren and living in a multi-million dollar Miami penthouse aren’t the rule, but the exception. Behind them are thousand (millions?) of greater fools that tried to do the same thing and lost everything.
@TheFlopster@lemmy.world also rightfully pointed out the increasing levels of desperation of the working class. 40 years ago people would dream about what they’d do if they won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse $10m sweepstakes, but then return to reality that their future would require them to work and save for a comfortable life and retirement. These days most are carrying massive levels of debt well into middle age and even retirement years and have little to nothing saved. They’re staring down the barrel of their bodies failing from age, a paltry future income from Social Security, rising housing and food costs, and no solution besides hitting a jackpot.