Young Investors’ Lived Experiences in Digital Financial Environments Amid Macroeconomic Uncertainty
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Abstract
The increasing integration of digital technologies in financial behavior has reshaped how individuals engage with and respond to macroeconomic change. Within this context, the subjective experiences of young investors navigating economic uncertainty through digital investment platforms remain underexplored. Existing models in behavioral economics and financial psychology often overlook how individuals internalize and interpret macroeconomic shifts on a personal level. This study investigates how young investors make sense of macroeconomic volatility in real time through the lens of interpretative phenomenology. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews with fifteen digital investors aged 21–35, data were analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to uncover underlying themes. Five key themes emerged: perceived loss of control, algorithmic reassurance, emotional ambivalence, social media amplification, and adaptive reframing of risk. These findings demonstrate that young investors’ financial behaviors are shaped by dynamic interactions between digital interfaces, emotional responses, and socio-cultural contexts. The study provides a nuanced understanding of how digital environments mediate economic experience and decision-making among novice investors. Beyond theoretical contributions, the findings highlight actionable implications: financial platforms could enhance transparency and build trust through clearer algorithmic communication, while policy initiatives might focus on strengthening digital financial literacy and creating safeguards that promote investor resilience. Such measures would better align platform design and regulatory frameworks with the lived realities of young investors in volatile economies.
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