‘Responsible growth’, encompassing environmental, social, and ethical stewardship, is now widely recognised as a sound business strategy. It has led to the rise of the triple bottom line — people, planet, and profit — adopted by many successful brands.

However, the latest Money Talks study for 2025, The Youth Tax, highlights a neglected and growing issue many would assume would form part of good social governance: the responsibility to protect financially vulnerable young people.

The cost-of-living crisis has disproportionately affected young people, intensifying financial pressure and impacting their mental health. Yet many brands are pushing them towards debt. This is not sustainable in the long term, and we’re urging businesses to pause and consider how they might be contributing to the problem.

The report makes for difficult reading but should serve as a wake-up call for brands - particularly those with a youth focus - to look at the role they play in shaping financial habits.

As credit becomes embedded in everyday spending, more than a quarter of people 18 to 24 are in debt, with one in 10 having experienced suicidal thoughts over the past 12 months. I was genuinely taken aback by these figures, so read them again and consider how just devastating they really are.

At the same time, 52% feel pressure from social platforms and influencers to buy things to fit in, even if it means spending beyond their means, and 40% have been targeted with ads encouraging them to use credit. Yet only a third believe brands are transparent about the potential pitfalls of the credit options they offer.

As I see it, any brand perpetuating a damaging cycle of credit, debt, and mental health struggles can really only be described as pursuing irresponsible growth. However, I do also recognise that a difficult economy makes it hard for brands to grow and thrive, and balancing commercial interests with social responsibility is an enormous challenge.

Just as businesses have learned to achieve responsible growth in other areas, notably environmental, I genuinely believe they can here too.

Reap what you sow

At this point, we need to accept that the ongoing cost-of-living crisis is not an economic blip to ride out. It has become a long-term, grinding reality that is disproportionately crushing young people. Brands that fail to acknowledge this are not only making their customers’ financial struggles worse, they risk undermining their own brand equity.

Whether businesses are consciously or unconsciously driving young people into a spiral of debt, they open themselves to accusations of predatory behaviour. Brand loyalty will only go so far and the generation that feels exploited today is more likely to be the generation that boycotts, or indeed legislates, tomorrow.

So what can brands do? Our research has revealed that young adults are woefully under-equipped to navigate these financial storms, a direct consequence of systemic failures in financial education earlier in life. This means the business world has an active opportunity to step in.

Nearly two-thirds of young adults believe brands should do more to educate young people about debt and credit scores. As such, taking a leadership role in financial education might just be the strategy they need to differentiate.

Those that create safe spaces for honest financial dialogue, invest in accessible financial literacy programmes, and champion financial empowerment stand to benefit over the longer term. Financial services brands, operating under rigorous scrutiny, have already demonstrated the potential for impactful financial education initiatives. Other sectors might follow their lead, using this difficult time to build a deeper trust with young people: the underlying principles behind brand loyalty and meaningful consumer relationships.

Let consumers buy when they can afford to, and brands that are seen to do the right thing now will reap the benefits of being the businesses that refused to take advantage.

Part of the problem, also part of the solution

Although social media was singled out for encouraging aspirational spending, it could equally become a key part of the solution. The report found that social platforms like TikTok and Instagram are the second most popular sources for young audiences to learn about financial topics, just behind conversations with friends and family.

This presents a real opportunity for brands to play a constructive role in filling knowledge gaps and promoting positive financial habits. It’s not about telling people not to buy; it’s about helping them to spend within their means and understand what different financial transactions and products mean.

Money Talks makes it clear that young people are desperate for more support. The study found that 60% of young adults wish the stigma around talking about money did not exist, and 53% do not want to be judged for their financial struggles. If brands can find ways to help, then a path towards responsible growth becomes clearer.

For our part, we’re working with MoneySuperMarket to improve financial literacy, helping young people take control of their financial futures. But this is a challenge that requires collective action from brands and the agencies that support them.

Responsible growth must extend to protecting young consumers from financial harm, ensuring that business success does not come at the expense of their wellbeing. Now is the time for all of us to step up.