Has Day Trading and Online Investing Become the New Obsession?
- The Unshaken Female
- Jul 17, 2023
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 21, 2023
I don't know about you, but trading the stock market can feel super rewarding when that order executes!
It's kind of like playing video games! You just love making it out alive in the game or advancing to the next level.
As you may already know, pleasurable stimuli (including alcohol, drugs, gambling, gaming, shopping, sex, social media, etc.) can all have an effect on the reward center in our brains.
Dopamine, a famous neurotransmitter, is one of the primary drivers of pleasure & reward. When released in the brain's mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways, it triggers a euphoric response in the brain.
How does online investing and day trading trigger a dopamine response?
That's simple, you get rewarded with MONEY when your orders execute, conditioning us to repeat the process.
If you remember Pavlov & his dog training, its basic psychology! Classical conditioning.
With a recent public warning by the sergeant general regarding the harms of social media, it's pretty apparent that the rise of online investing & day trading could also become a dangerous addiction (if you don't know what you're doing, that is).
That being said, make sure to understand your risks before jumping into trading with both feet!
BUT, with all concerns aside {for now}, there should be a portion of the population that this doesn't apply to. The ones who take the time to understand & care about the "nitty gritties" behind their investments should be able to have a healthy and (somewhat) disciplined, yet ridiculously fun new hobby. You never know, it could even turn into your next career!
You can trust me....why?
...I'm a Doctor of Pharmacy!
As a pharmacist by trade, I've personally encountered the mis-use of amphetamines & other stimulants in pharmacy school just to keep up with the immense workload & tedious exams.
When you're young & naive its too easy to fall into bad habits when you're surrounded by functioning "druggies" everywhere on campus!
No joke, at least half of 1st year students who study pharmacy have to have tried, been prescribed, or become hooked to these meds at some point in their career journey.
It's interesting (and often sad) to see what happens to these pharmacy folks that have either graduated (or dropped out) who, at the end of the day, have to stay professional to succeed!
Obviously, I was and am still a meticulous learner, so as the college curriculum honed in on more detail year by year, I became well aware of the proper use, effects, and warnings on these stimulant medications.
It's one thing to remember the literature, but another to have the knowledge and a guilty conscious of consuming it based on my psychotropic-free youth.
Fortunately, I ended up getting a proper diagnosis for adult ADHD in my professional years, as I believed I've had inattention issues since grade school, but even more so as a pharmacy intern. Nevertheless, these helpful meds (in their prescribed dosages & directions) have become embedded in my everyday life to this day, and it's hard to even fathom the thought of going back to the organic brain!
Wait, so how is this relevant to online investing & day trading...?
I wont bore you with the details about my personal journey in this particular post, but it's important to understand the reasons why some of us become captivated in the online trading space.
I don't have a background in finance, but through 8 years of corporate retail pharmacy practice & management, I've gained ample business and workflow experience.
Sharp precision in accuracy through verifying prescription details in a timely manner is absolutely necessary to get work done in that type of environment, which is something I've mastered.
It took pain and patience, but its paying off now!
Day trading requires strict discipline and budget limits to be successful without the unhealthy habits.
Stay tuned for more information on investing on your own!
XO Hope
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