What day trading is
Day trading is a style where positions are opened and closed within the same trading day, so nothing is held overnight. This avoids overnight swap costs and the risk of waking to a large gap, but it concentrates all decisions into a single session.
Day traders typically make several trades a day, aiming to profit from intraday moves. It appeals to people who want to be actively involved and to avoid the uncertainty of holding through the night.
The demands and costs
Trading actively within the day means paying the spread frequently, so costs matter more than for slower styles, though less than for scalping. It also means real time commitment and constant decision-making, which is mentally taxing and fertile ground for emotional mistakes.
The pressure of the session pushes many day traders into overtrading — taking marginal trades out of boredom or frustration — and into revenge trading after a loss. These behaviours, not a lack of knowledge, are what empty most day-trading accounts.
An honest look at the odds
It is important to state plainly that the great majority of retail day traders lose money, and studies of active traders consistently find that only a small minority are profitable over time. The image of day trading as an easy income is contradicted by the data.
This does not mean it is impossible, but it means going in clear-eyed: with money you can afford to lose, small position sizes, strict risk rules, and no expectation of quick success. Treat day trading as a difficult skill with poor average outcomes, and let that shape how much you risk while learning.