The Numbers Behind the Panic
Let’s not forget why people are reaching for new tactics in the first place.
Recent surveys show that Gen Z’s average personal debt is over $94,000 — a mix of student loans, credit cards, and high living costs. And despite their independence online, many still rely heavily on family support: parents are sending an average of $1,474 each month to help cover basics like rent, groceries, or insurance.
That doesn’t mean Gen Z is bad with money — it means the system is stacked against them. Wages haven’t kept pace with inflation, and housing is borderline unreachable in major cities.
So instead of pretending everything’s fine, they’re hacking reality.
They’re gamifying finance because that’s how you stay sane when the rules don’t work anymore.
