Gen Z Will Pioneer the Future of Money
I don’t carry cash anymore.
Why? It is just too annoying. Having stacks of bills in my wallet combined with the pile of change I’m returned after making purchases is not something I’m interested in dealing with. Instead, I use a debit card that is connected to my high school checking account and Apple Pay!
Not surprisingly, my generation, Gen Z, is leading the way when it comes to ditching coins and bills. We favor alternative forms of money like debit cards, credit cards and digital wallets. The growth of enterprises like Venmo, a peer-to-peer app that transfers money between users’ bank accounts, is facilitating Gen Z’s mass movement from cash to clicks and cards. They make it so, so easy!
By not using cash, all my payments are tracked and recorded automatically. I never need to bug my friends about not paying me back because I just tell them to “Venmo me”. It is a frictionless, pain free experience.
An additional advantage to abandoning cash, you do not have to worry about misplacing or losing your money. Your debit or credit cards can be canceled. With cash, there is no real hope for retrieving it if it is lost or stolen.
But even more importantly, digital currency and cashless transactions empower teens to be confident about their relationship with money. It gives us more experience and control managing and choosing how we want to use it. For example, for many teens if they have cash on them, they are more likely to spend it; cards and digital payments reduce that temptation.
As I look towards the future, I see us living in a cashless society. Once us Gen Z’ers become tomorrow’s business leaders, I think we will observe an accelerated shift away from a dependency on paper and coin currency. I honestly would not be surprised if my kids grow up and don’t know what cash is. Soon enough, my paper $1 bill could become a collector item, worth millions of dollars! Until then, cash will continue to be with us.
About Andy Niser
Andy is a rising senior at Jones College Prep in Chicago, Illinois. He is a very active leader and community volunteer. He is a high level soccer referee, avid distance runner, and the President of his local BBYO chapter.
He has a passion for learning and is dedicated to achieving success and making a positive impact on the world.
See more of Andy's thinking. He's one of the young leaders featured in Panel 2 of Sammy Rabbit's Teen, College and Young Adult Financial Literacy Discussion Panel!
Teens, College Students, Young Adults
Here are a few ways teens, college students and young adults can support Sammy and his mission to bring more financial literacy education resources and experiences to children, families and communities throughout the world.
One
Participate and be featured in a Sammy Rabbit Teen, College and Young Adult Financial Literacy Discussion Panel!
Two
Lead a Sammy Dream Big Financial Literacy Education Experience in your community, just like students from Loras College did in Dubuque, Iowa.
Three
Be a Sammy Teen and College Student Guest Money Blogger just like Rishab Gosalia and others have done and are doing!
Four
Be a Sammy Rabbit Dream Big Social Media Ambassador!
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