Uuh, can the media please stop portraying all traders as degenerated gamblers? That‘s like portraying everyone who drinks alcohol as homeless alcoholics.
Trading is a very rewarding job if you treat it as a business and take it serious. It has a very steep learning curve and challenges your mental state a lot, especially in the first 2-5 years. But if you can push through, your monetary success can exceed even your wildest dreams.
I know what I‘m talking about - trading changed my life and made me financially independent. But it was far from easy and it didn‘t happen overnight.
What you see in places like r/wallstreetbets is NOT the reality of a professional trader (I thought that was clear, but I guess not). What those idiots do, really is gambling. But actual trading isn‘t gambling. It‘s more like poker. There is an element of luck/chance, but if you watch a final round of a poker tournament, you only see professionals - proving that you need skills to have enduring success.