Retail traders in the late 1920s absolutely competed with each other, treating the stock market as a grand, highly social game to see who could get rich the fastest. While they did not have digital leaderboards or modern apps, the culture of the Roaring Twenties turned financial speculation into a competitive hobby fueled by new technology and mass media. The proliferation of commercial radio stations and daily newspaper financial columns provided a constant stream of success stories. Retail traders constantly benchmarked their own success against the legendary, highly publicized wins of famous market speculators like Jesse Livermore. This environment fostered a severe sense of "FOMO" (fear of missing out), driving a relentless urge to keep pace with—or outperform—one's peers.