On the other hand, the wild fluctuations must indicate something is not right. One day we have a huge drop because oil is tanking. The next day, oil is still tanking, but the Fed indicates continuing aggression in the stimulus game and it soars again. The next day, it tanks because China isn't doing as good as predicted. The following day, 277 people are found to be without jobs so it tanks again.
The market has been co-opted by the microsecond traders who are very good at making a profit on upticks and down-ticks so they manufacture lots of both while they bleed the capital from the little guy.
Traders have been driving the market for a long time. Nothing new there other than improvements in tools and ability to trade faster etc. An individual investor has no chance against these guys and their machines when it comes to day trading IMO. Maybe some can but it requires serious attention. Individual investors need to know enough to ride out these peaks and troughs via well diversified index ETFs and seek out megatrends. Wild fluctuations are not fun but one has to deal with it if you want to play. With interest rates so low money really has nowhere else to go except stocks. this game will cash and burn and one has to be prepared for it