It's really not gamified. It doesn't "nudge" you. There are no dark UX patterns that I've seen. They do not let you "go from training wheels to driving motorcycles" any more than the actual American driving test does (which, by the way, was less than three minutes long when I took it).
This whole article suggests one thing: Adults can't be trusted with their own money. That's more than a little insulting, and while it's tragic that gamblers have clearly used Robinhood as a substitute for other forms of their addiction, it's no different to the many documentaries I've seen of people doing the same thing at Poker tables or slot machines. It's just "bad" because it's in an app.
Meanwhile, I've been very happy with the things I learned using Robinhood. Not all of my investments have been successful. I've lost money on some. I've made money on others. I'm not particularly interested in shorting, and I follow the best advice: Don't invest what you can't afford to lose. Maybe they should make that their slogan, since that's really all anyone can complain about.
This whole article suggests one thing: Adults can't be trusted with their own money. That's more than a little insulting, and while it's tragic that gamblers have clearly used Robinhood as a substitute for other forms of their addiction, it's no different to the many documentaries I've seen of people doing the same thing at Poker tables or slot machines. It's just "bad" because it's in an app.
Meanwhile, I've been very happy with the things I learned using Robinhood. Not all of my investments have been successful. I've lost money on some. I've made money on others. I'm not particularly interested in shorting, and I follow the best advice: Don't invest what you can't afford to lose. Maybe they should make that their slogan, since that's really all anyone can complain about.