U.S. teens are thinking more about money than ever before, and billionaire Mark Cuban says it makes perfect sense.
According to long-running survey data by John Burns Research and Consulting shared by Blue Rose Research Head of Data Science David Shor on Bluesky, 36% of 12th graders in 2022 said money is “extremely important” to them—the highest level in at least 50 years. That's a sharp increase from 26% in the early 2010s, when the number hovered steadily for two decades.
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Gen Z Wants To Earn, Not Just Learn
So why are teens suddenly more money-focused? Rising costs of college, stagnant wages, and social media exposure to wealth all play a role. Many Gen Z kids have grown up watching their parents struggle through the Great Recession and now face inflation, student loan concerns, and housing unaffordability themselves. At the same time, apps like TikTok and YouTube constantly show examples of young people making money fast. For many teens, making money no longer feels optional, but urgent.
"Zoomers care more about making money than any generation in at least 50 years," Shor posted on Bluesky in January. Cuban quickly responded: "Doesn't surprise me. Every kid has people around them making money posting videos. Beats a newspaper route!"
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Cuban has been vocal about how teens today should take advantage of new opportunities the internet and AI make possible. In a CNBC interview, he said if he were 16 again and needed extra money, he would learn how to write prompts for AI tools like ChatGPT, teach his friends how to use them, and then offer those skills to local businesses.
"Doesn't matter if I'm 16," Cuban said. "I'd be teaching them as well."
He believes AI prompt engineering is a skill that can result in serious income—sometimes six figures—without requiring a college degree.
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Books And Bots
In another Bluesky post from February, Cuban shared what he tells kids who ask him what to focus on today: "Read books and learn how to use AI in every way, shape and form you can. It is a living library that gives you responses and can help no matter who you are or where you live."
His advice contrasts with his own early hustle, which started with selling garbage bags door-to-door at age 12. Today's teens, he says, have better tools. Instead of physical products, they can sell knowledge, skills and content, often to a much bigger audience.
As more teens see influencers, content creators, and tech-savvy peers earning real money, Cuban thinks it's only natural they're placing more value on wealth early in life.
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Image: Imagn Images
