Debt farm: why young people urgently need financial education!

Debt farm: why young people urgently need financial education!

This days, young people are increasingly at risk in debt trap through online shopping and social media. According to information from rbb24 , financial education in Germany is a big drawback. Although the need for a responsible handling of money is clear, this topic is often only dealt with marginally. A survey by the German Banking Association shows that over 50% of the respondents see the schools in duty to invest more in the financial education of their students.

In Germany, around 5.6 million Germans over the age of 18 are over -indebted. The problem is particularly pronounced among young people: 20% of the less than 30 years of age have debts, and 6.76% of them are already over-indebted, according to Creditreform 2024. This could also be due to the ignorance of simple financial issues, but the required education is often not conveyed. Numerous organizations such as Diakonie and Caritas are committed to the introduction of a binding school subject "Financial Education" to remedy this grievance.

dangers from digital purchasing forms

Especially the new online shopping models such as "Buy Now, Pay Later" and platforms such as the Tikok shop contribute to the debt of young people. These enable immediate purchases and make it easy for young people to go beyond their budget. Experts such as future researchers Hartwin Maas warn of the consequences of these impulsive buying behavior. You are calling for regulation of such offers to protect the Alpha generation from financial problems that could go hand in hand with new consumer trends and digital payment methods.

according to ZDF are the causes of debt in young people: ignorance, seductability and a feeling of alternative play a role here. The association's debt counseling (AG SBV) emphasizes the need to invest more in financial education in order to significantly reduce the risk of debt. The recently carried out campaign week of debt counseling, which took place from June 2 to 6, 2025 and the motto "Best Investment Financial Education - If Minus Plus becomes", should draw attention to the urgency of this topic.

a school subject for the future

A practical approach for financial education shows the example of Friedrich, an eighth grader who learns how to deal with money in economic lessons and is planning a delivery service for bakery rolls. However, such targeted educational offers are rare, and it often happens that schools need temporary external offers to adequately train students. Although there has been a decision by the Conference of Ministers of Culture to anchor consumer education in schools since 2013, it is a problem with the implementation through poor resources and personnel.

The consideration of financial education in general education is also supported by Ramona Pop, the VZBV, in particular, especially in the current price crisis. Experts are calling for comprehensive transfer of knowledge to financial issues in schools to help students become informed and mature consumers. Financial general education should enable you to understand basic relationships and critically examine when it is necessary to obtain professional advice and what information is trustworthy. This is crucial to secure the financial future of future generations.

Overall, it can be stated that the need for action in terms of financial education in schools is enormous. The appeals of political decision -makers to introduce a compulsory subject and to improve knowledge transfer at schools are getting louder. A future -oriented step could significantly improve the financial situation of young people.