The Gamestop Saga: Students’ Perspective

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Advantus Media Inc

As the Gamestop Saga continues to unfold, students share what they think of the situation!

Avery Chalk, Writer

To many, the prospect of buying and selling seems daunting. With countless stories about jobs lost or money wasted, it can be easy for budding businessmen and women to stray away from the stock market, anxious about what Wall Street might do to their wallets.

But, the stock exchange doesn’t have to be as lucrative as its reputation. For young adults interested in commerce, joining the Young Investors Society, or other finance-based clubs, is a perfect way to become more educated about the market. Such clubs are great for talking finance, hearing portfolio advice, and of course: Learning about Gamestop. 

If you aren’t familiar about what the Gamestop situation is, check out this article here. If you want to hear about what might be in store for the future of the stock market, check out this article here. And if you want to hear about the whole ordeal from students’ perspectives… keep reading. 

Will investors be scared of the stock market in the future? Only time will tell! (Piqsels)

What happened with Gamestop may seem like very much an adult issue – one that high schoolers have no business hearing about. However, learning about the market from an early age is a great way to become better prepared for when you can invest your own money into stocks. Talking about events that have already begun to greatly shape the future of the market, such as Gamestop, prepares budding investors for when they can finally try their hand on Wall Street in the future.

Representatives from the Young Investors Society elaborated on how the club has talked about Gamestop. To start, the club as a whole finds it as absurd as anyone, if not more. “It was absolutely insane,” one club member wrote. “I never thought a 10 dollar stock company on the verge of bankruptcy would be pushed to over 500 bucks a share.”

In order to explain what happened, Mr. Cadenhead, the club supervisor, made sure to go in depth about the event at some of their most recent meetings. “We talked about shorting,” one club member wrote. “Also pumping a market, which both helped the stocks skyrocket.” Pumping a market consists of inflating the price of stock through misleading statements to turn a profit, while short selling is when investors borrow and then sell stocks. Despite the gamble on both sides, shorting, pumping, and other stock market tactics have been used for years – and don’t plan to go away any time soon. 

The Young Investors Society’s mission statement includes educating teens about finance and stocks. (Avery Chalk)

One can’t help but wonder if the “Gamestop Saga” has scared these future investors off for good. “I don’t think so“, said one club member. “It is a good opportunity to recognize a weird situation in the market and see how it may be possible to profit off it.” Stocks certainly aren’t going anywhere, and now is as good a time as any to start investing.

“Pumping these stocks won’t last for long, and the market is coming back to normal,” one club member explained. “It is definitely a good time to get into investing now since it is easier to make money because of the pandemic.” While the pandemic has certainly changed a lot of things in day-to-day life, the stock market doesn’t have to be one of them. Both will forever remain unpredictable… so if interested, take the plunge, and learn more about the market soon!