Children are increasingly using AI to learn how to manage their finances
KIDS AND MONEY
I noticed that nowadays many people focus their attention on AI, mainly on its ability to make life easier or help them earn money. But I could never have imagined that modern children already rely on it when deciding what they want to buy or how to spend their money.
Let’s go back to our own childhoods. In most cases, we saved money for a long time to buy something we really wanted—something we had seen somewhere. We didn’t have much variety, because in many families financial conditions were tight and money was not always enough. So we often had to save and be careful with spending.
Back then, we could physically hold our money. We could feel it, see it, and clearly understand that once we spent it, it would be gone from our hands. Today, the situation is completely different. And this is what we will talk about further in this article.
This morning, while having my morning coffee, I came across an interesting article on the Forbes website that discussed this issue. It turns out the problem is much bigger than it might seem at first glance.
The article states:
“Generation Alpha is learning to deal with money in a completely different system. Born after 2010, this generation is growing up with money that is often abstract, embedded, and instantly accessible. Tapping a card, a digital wallet balance, a saved payment method, or an in-app purchase may not feel like losing money, but rather like instant gratification, similar to in-game currency.
In a new report by DKC on the Gen Alpha economy, it was found that children’s spending is increasingly shaped by algorithms, as artificial intelligence is embedded in commerce. The report, based on a survey of 1,000 parents of children aged 8 to 15 in the US conducted in April 2026, also claims that Generation Alpha is learning to earn money through apps, digital wallets, gaming platforms, creator recommendations, social commerce, and AI-powered tools that can shape what children want before they fully understand what spending means.”
And in reality, this is indeed a big problem, because modern games, apps, and social networks are designed in such a way that anything can be purchased with a single click. It is also worth noting that in most cases, children are not buying physical items, but rather abstract digital goods to improve their in-game characters. And often, parents are not even aware of this.
I know many stories where a child simply took photos of a bank card from both sides, entered the details on a payment website, and made a purchase. Of course, the child does not always understand what they are doing, but part of the problem also lies with the parents. There is often a lack of financial safety awareness, limits, authentication, and similar protections.
In Ukraine, most people do not manage their finances properly. Honestly, I also have periods when I don’t track expenses, don’t plan a budget, and sometimes even use my credit card limit. And this is a real issue that should be addressed together with children. They need to see how much money you earn, what you spend it on, how you plan your budget, and how you invest it.
It is important to show by personal example that money on a card is not just numbers that magically appear every month, but rather an exchange of your time, skills, and abilities.
So pay more attention to your finances and teach your children to do the same, because at some point it may happen that all the money you saved for a house or a car could be spent in a game or on a website on something completely different—and you might not even notice it.