Betting and memecoins instead of a diploma: how Generation Z is changing in the USA

Generation Z in the United States is increasingly challenging established norms: if earlier it was natural for most people to graduate from university and go to work in an office, today young Americans are choosing a completely different path. Instead of long years of study and a familiar career, they rely on quick and non-standard ways to make money - from sports betting to memecoin trading.

University? No, trading and betting are better

According to economic columnist Kayla Scanlon, the new generation prefers practical professions such as electrician or plumber - something that guarantees a stable income without huge debts for training. But there are also those who are looking for even riskier and potentially profitable options: cryptocurrency trading, investing in memecoins and, of course, sports betting.

This entire transformation, according to the expert, is built on the concept of the attention economy. Today, you can make money not only by creating viral content, but also by predicting its success.

An example from Scanlon: if a video on the network gets a million views, then not only its author will win, but also the one who bet on such a result in advance - whether using a special betting platform or a prediction exchange.

Multidimensional reality: where not only action is valued, but also reaction

The expert calls this the "multidimensional aspect" of the modern economy: not only your own decisions are important, but also the ability to guess how the audience will react. In fact, young people are turning betting on the success of anything — memes, sporting events, trends — into a new way to make money.

While older generations are arguing about the value of a diploma, Generation Z is already making its choice: fewer office briefings and university lectures mean more chances to catch the wave of hype and make money here and now. This does not mean that universities will disappear — but their role for young people is clearly being revised.

And who knows, maybe in a few years, betting on the popularity of memes or cryptocurrency will become the same norm as work "in the specialty" once was.