Project Description

This research project examines the level of financial literacy among high school students (ages 14–18) in Turkey and investigates how social media shapes their financial knowledge, attitudes, and early economic behaviors. Adolescents today are increasingly exposed to financial content through platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X. Influencers frequently discuss investing, cryptocurrency, entrepreneurship, budgeting, and “quick wealth” strategies. However, little empirical research has explored how high school students interpret this content, how accurately they understand financial concepts, and whether social media exposure affects their financial attitudes (e.g., risk tolerance, saving preferences, consumption habits). The project adopts a mixed-methods design. First, age-appropriate financial literacy measures (basic interest calculation, inflation awareness, budgeting knowledge, digital payment understanding) will be administered alongside questions assessing financial attitudes and behavioral intentions. Second, survey items will capture patterns of social media use, perceived credibility of financial influencers, and exposure to financial misinformation. Third, qualitative interviews or focus groups with a subset of students will explore how adolescents make sense of financial advice encountered online and how they distinguish credible information from hype. The study will compare students across different school types (public/private, socioeconomic background) to understand disparities in financial knowledge and digital exposure. The project may generate practical recommendations for integrating digital financial literacy into high school curricula.