It’s become increasingly difficult to translate the numbers in our digital wallet into the reality of physical cash. Money today feels abstract— just a tap, a swipe, or a click— detached from the tangible sense of loss or gain that once accompanied handing over cash.

Despite this shift in how we interact with it, the value of money has not changed. Every dollar spent digitally carries the same weight as one spent in cash, and every financial decision still has real consequences.

The danger lies in how easily we forget that. A bright screen can create the illusion that we are operating in a space where risks feel smaller and losses feel less immediate. But we are not living in a game. Mindlessly placing a bet or making a quick financial decision has direct impacts, not only on our bank accounts, but also our mental health. What feels like a harmless tap can quickly spiral into regret, and eventually addiction.

Apps like Kalshi amplify the issue with their design that encourages constant engagement. Those companies only care about the attention economy; their success depends not on users making careful, informed divisions, but on frequent participation.

We need to pause before we even consider laying money on the table and risking it. But that raises an important question: How can we make responsible financial decisions if we have never been taught to do so?

Now is the time to learn how to invest responsibly and consider our options while gambling. UPrep should have a required financial literacy class that helps us learn how to manage our money for real-world challenges. While we have classes like Macro- and Microeconomics, and Math Finance, they aren’t required courses. This leaves many students in the dark about finances.

We can’t be responsible adults if we don’t know how to engage in our finances. A required financial literacy course would provide students with the tools to understand when to walk away and when to take a chance– investing or gambling.

At the same time, students must take initiative. These opportunities already exist, from Investing Club to online resources, they allow for safe exploration and learning. The stakes are lower while we are young and the lessons learned can prevent costly mistakes in the future.