If Young Men Say It’s a Bad Idea, Believe Them

Key points

Young men are becoming the loudest critics of legalized sports gambling.

Gambling apps exploit impulsivity through constant ads and frictionless design.

Research shows digital betting detaches users from the reality of loss and debt.

Recovery starts with deleting apps, finding support, and refusing isolation.

Many moons ago, I was a college student at a bonfire party on one of Southern California’s many beautiful beaches.

It was late at night and the party was full of music, laughter , and the kind of idealistic energy that many of us fondly remember from our early 20s.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a friend take off in a sprint and leap over the bonfire pit, clearing it to the astonishment and applause of the crowd.

In that moment, whether he meant to or not, he