The stock market was once seen as a destination for surplus wealth and patient capital. But today, driven by stagnant wages, shrinking job security, and the lure of easy gains, it’s increasingly becoming a lifeline — or a shortcut — for those looking to escape the grind. That shift, warns financial educator Akshat Shrivastava, reflects a deeper malaise in the economy. He calls it the “stock-ification” of society — a trend that may feel rewarding in the short term, but spells long-term trouble for productivity, innovation, and equitable growth.
Akshat Shrivastava, Founder and CEO of Wisdom Hatch, criticised this speculative rush in a detailed post on X, formerly Twitter, labeling it as the “stock-ification of the economy.” According to him, the trend signals deep structural issues.
“When too many people stop working. And, start buying stocks for survival, you know it is bad for the economy. This process could be termed as: Stock-ification of the economy,” Shrivastava wrote.
He pointed to stagnating salaries, lack of job security, and a general disillusionment with traditional work as the root causes. “Working hard at the same job looks unappealing (for no salary rise)… so if you are a rich dude, you would rather make 2-3% additional returns on your 10Cr plus portfolio. And, ‘live’ a life… generally bad for the economy.”
Drawing a contrast with China, Shrivastava noted that Chinese citizens were historically discouraged from stock trading, focusing instead on value creation and hard work. But even their real estate-focused investment culture backfired. “Their last Real Estate crisis: conveyed the point — investing won’t make you rich.”
He also criticized the rise of elite investment offices, noting, “A rich billionaire in India recently cited: that kids of other billionaires have stopped working or creating new businesses. They, now instead run ‘family investment offices’ where they play around with their 1000 of Crores of wealth.”
Shrivastava underlined the paradox: avoiding the stock market leads to relative impoverishment. “If your capital just sits (while other people’s wealth is compounding in the market), you will become poorer relatively… our world leaders including Modiji and Trumpji have openly advocated for stock buying… they want the economy to be stock-ified.”
Summing up, he wrote, “We now have a world, where: 1) The poor play with the pan masala, 2) The middle class plays D-11 cricket, 3) The rich plays with stocks & trading. And, the ultra-rich controls all.”
The post sparked a wave of responses. One user lamented the loss of productive ambition: “We’ve confused hustle with hashtags — trading hammers for stock tickers while chasing get-rich-quick dopamine hits… the future isn’t built by spreadsheet jockeys… Let’s stop betting on bubbles and start building.”
Another user wrote, “Money moving around without creating anything real slows growth and widens the gap between rich and everyone else.”
A third added, “The reason the rich kids enter the portfolio management world at a young age is because our regulatory environment is not geared to reward the risk taker but rather seek rent from him.”