In the early 18th century, Sir Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientific minds in history, lost a great fortune in a stock market overheating called the “South Sea Bubble.” His lament, “I can calculate the motions of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people,” has echoed through centuries of financial history.

Today, as stock markets dominate headlines and social conversations, Newton’s warning feels more relevant than ever. Yet unlike his era, the current wave of enthusiasm for stocks is not confined to seasoned investors or speculative traders. It is reaching into the realm of family life and, more strikingly, into the education of our children.

For generations, parents taught their children the virtue of saving. A piggy bank and a passbook account symbolized financial responsibility. Savings were tied to the dignity of labor.

But the landscape has changed. In a world of relatively low interest rates, inflationary pressures and rapid technological disruption, traditional savings accounts no longer carry the same promise. Instead, stocks, securities, ETFs and even fractional shares have become the new language of wealth creation.

Parents who once emphasized the usefulness of savings now find themselves opening brokerage accounts for their children, teaching them how to buy and sell and even transferring shares as part of inheritance planning.

This trend mirrors a broader cultural shift: new financial literacy is now seen as essential for survival in a complex economy. Just as children learn coding, languages or sports, they are increasingly being introduced to the mechanics of markets.

However, it raises profound questions. Does financial success now rely less on effort and more on access? Are we teaching children that markets, rather than labor, are the true engines of prosperity? The answers are not simple, but the questions are unavoidable.

Newton’s cautionary tale reminds us that markets are not classrooms free of danger. Stocks can educate, but they can mislead too. The volatility of stocks, the allure of quick gains and the psychological traps of greed and fear are as real today as they were in Newton’s time. Parents who introduce children to stocks must balance enthusiasm with responsibility, ensuring that lessons in risk management accompany lessons in opportunity.

True financial literacy should involve understanding wider economic principles: the role of labor, the importance of innovation, the impact of policy and the ethical dimensions of wealth. Teaching children to buy and sell without teaching them to think critically about value risks creating a generation of speculators rather than informed citizens.

The key note is not to abandon savings but to expand its meaning. Savings can now include stocks, bonds and diversified portfolios, alongside traditional accounts. Labor can still be celebrated as the foundation of value, even as ownership becomes crucial.

In this way, children can learn that wealth is not merely inherited or speculated upon, but thoughtfully built through a combination of effort, discipline and informed participation in markets

If stocks are to become part of our children’s sound financial education, it should be taught not as a gamble, but as a discipline — one that blends mathematics, psychology, ethics and history.

Only then can we avoid the unfortunate future and ensure that our descendants inherit not just shares, but wisdom. Thus, careful reflection and practical revision of the existing school curriculum of economics are urgently needed. I hope future generations will never go through anything like the failure of Newton.

Sho Chang-young is a retired high school teacher and former principal of Gunsan Girls’ High School.