Should all young adults have a credit card?

I think they should. Most businesses accept credit cards and they provide individuals an easy way to track purchases and a way to purchase goods online. As long as the credit card doesn't have an annual fee, the individual pays off the credit card each month and there is a hard maximum balance limit, I don't see a downside. By paying the card off in full each month, the individual is not incurring any finance charges and can build a good payment history. Furthermore, credit cards are less risky than cash and debit cards. I often notice that young adults (as well as older adults) still use debit cards a lot. This makes me cringe. The reason for that is because if someone gets access to your debit card number, they can drain your bank accounts and cause more problems for you (think bounced checks, no cash for scheduled electronic withdrawals, bank fees for dipping below minimum balance amounts). If a credit card is stolen, the stolen credit card number does not provide the thief with access to bank accounts. Your credit card balance goes up, but you tell the credit card company that purchases were unauthorized and they investigate... and your bank account remains unaffected.

What is the biggest mistake that young adults tend to make with credit cards?

I think young adults can get into trouble by using a credit card as a line of credit to live a life beyond their means. This is easy to do if someone isn't disciplined. Debt can accumulate quickly if the individual isn't diligent about monitoring purchases and paying off purchases right away. Once there is a balance everything gets more expensive because of the interest accruals.

To what extent are young people interacting with credit cards differently nowadays than in the past?

Young people are linking their credit card accounts to their electronic devices like phones and smartwatches so they can purchase things without actually having to swipe or insert their credit cards. I have not fully investigated this trend yet even though my devices are capable. It is interesting. Before I would consider linking my devices I need to understand what happens if I lose my watch or phone. Watches and phones, since they are often on display rather than put away safely in a wallet, seem like a risk I am not ready to take on just yet. I still need convinced!

What type of credit card feature is most important to young adults: rewards, low interest rates or low fees?

I think the answer to that depends on what type of purchases are made and how the individual manages the card. I think paying attention to the fees is most important. If someone pays off the balance in full each month, the interest rate doesn't really matter because by paying it in full there should be no interest. Since there are so many cards out there that have no annual fees, it doesn't seem smart to me to get a card that would have an annual fee. If the credit card is for someone who travels a lot internationally, then having a card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees is important. If it is someone who needs to get cash advances with a credit card, then finding a card with low cash advance fees is important. Why would you get a credit card that has a lot of fees attached to it when many options do not? Finally, rewards are nice, but if they encourage you to spend on things just to earn reward points, I think that is something a young adult doesn't need... but if you can find a card that has low fees and pays rewards on things that you purchase anyway, why not?