Darn. And I'm so fond of dealing with 16-year-olds behind the counter, too.

Not in Bangkok.

Afternoon_Delight: FTFA: Experts chalk up the trend to several factors: More teens are in school than a decade ago, many parents prefer their kids to focus on their studies, and in some circles, teen labor almost has become a stigma because it implies the family needs the money.


The 'experts' left off the fact that far too many of today's teens are spoiled, foul-mouthed, illiterate brats that demand that everything in life be handed to them.

And it's the fault of the liberals. Don't forget to add that.

eqtworld: Story: Teens are lazy and ruining America, the future will be awful. When was it published?

1920?

1950?

1965?

1985?

Today?

/take your pick.

Before now, no teens were ever spoiled, foul-mouthed, illiterate brats that demand that everything in life be handed to them.

Don't you ever forget that.

"These days, working teenagers are becoming scarce."

Which is quite strange because they have so few moving parts.

Subby: "These days, working teenagers who aren't illiterate, selfish yobs are becoming scarce."

/FTFY

Don't worry they be stripping to "pay for college"

I don't get it. My family didn't need the money, but I worked. I wanted extra spending money and it gave me a way to get out and work with people, and build up my interpersonal skills. And my parents trusted that I was actually going to work, which meant that I could call my boyfriend and tell him to come meet me at my job so we could go make out.

I worked in retail for 12 years (am thankfully out of it now and in the more professional sector) and the only thing I learned about working teens applicable to this thread is this:

They are either really diligent, professional, hard workers with a strong work ethic or they are totally lazy slackasses with no regard to their coworkers, customers or employers.

For some odd reason, there was no middle ground. Just the extremes.

BizzareMan wins, thread over.

22, never worked.

way work now if i don't have to, im going to be working the rest of my life.

/would have to work if i wanted money to spend with friends in a social setting.
//no friends, no need for the money.

Espertron: They are either really diligent, professional, hard workers with a strong work ethic or they are totally lazy slackasses with no regard to their coworkers, customers or employers.

For some odd reason, there was no middle ground. Just the extremes.

You've apparently never met me

"Boomers became responsible adults because...

I stopped reading right there.

I do hear more and more about parents who don't let their teenage kids work because they don't want to burden them with the responsibility of working and want them to enjoy being a kid as long as possible.

I think that's a bad idea, but whatever.

My daughter will be 16 next month. She doesn't want to work fast food b/c of the grease, and what it'll do to her complexion. She wants to work at Petsmart, or Petco, but you have to be 17. She's still trying to decide.

The difficult part is that she's in the varsity band,varsity choir, and Pre-AP classes, so her free time is scarce. It'll be alot worse in the fall. Summer band 8-4 M-F in August, and marching practice every morning and evening, plus games on Fridays for a few months after that. Add to that, we live in a small town, and her chances of finding a place to work with her schedule...it may be difficult...

And many parents see more value in their children's extracurricular activities than paying jobs because clubs and community service look good on college applications.

This is telling. Idle leisure counts for more on a college application than hard work? No wonder this next generation is farked--even the educators don't know what's important.

I worked at a local grocery store when I was 16 till I was 19 and it was a lot of fun.

Looking back at the crazy stuff that happened in that store and what I thought was BS back then doesnt even size up to the BS now.

I still think warking at that store was one of the better choices in life that I have made.

/26 now.
//Feel like a old man looking at the bratty dumbshat kids of today.

Whomever wrote this article has obviously never shopped at Best Buy

TommyBahama: way work now if i don't have to, im going to be working the rest of my life.

I think working with the complete dregs of society (I worked at McDonalds when I was 16-17) gives you an appreciation of the world. It helps keeps you grounded. It can also make you incredibly cynical about the world, though.

I can honestly say I treat service industry people much nicer than I probably would otherwise. I can empathize with them looking back.

I think young people work too much already. At work we have a student intern and she has far less free time than me, I look like a slug compared to her but I "work" more because I put in more hours at the office? Come on. I doubt she sleeps more than 5-6 hours a day.

Why should they work when parents allow them to sit around. Too many parents let their kids join every club and team instead of showing them the value of hard work. My son has work since he was 16. he paid for most of his college. We did help him out.We paid for his books and I gave him my old car. I always hear from his customers and co-workers how much they like him. Kids should not be spoiled and pandered to. When kids are rude and lazy, there is only one place to look. Parents!

Wow. Such amazing hate direceted at younger people. It doesn't surprise me, though

Think of this: There are few people who can use the net, that come from any generation that is in any way less shiatty than this one

Afternoon_Delight: The 'experts' left off the fact that far too many of today's teens are spoiled, foul-mouthed, illiterate brats that demand that everything in life be handed to them.

When did you escape the Politics forum?

eqtworld 2007-12-16 11:10:14 AM
Story: Teens are lazy and ruining America, the future will be awful. When was it published?

I refer you to Socrates' famous rant.

testsicles: I do hear more and more about parents who don't let their teenage kids work because they don't want to burden them with the responsibility of working and want them to enjoy being a kid as long as possible.

I think that's a bad idea, but whatever.

Adolescence has become very extended, it seems. My sister just moved out of the house last year, and she's 24. My brother still lives with the parents. I moved out at 18 - I was a grownup and it was time to go. Though I do reject my parents generation ideal at being married at 19-20 and having 3 kids by 26. No f'ing way.

Durn Mexicans.

...and in some circles, teen labor almost has become a stigma because it implies the family needs the money.

Please list those circles so that we can berate them full time with articles from their local papers and photoshops.

I wanted a job when I was a teenager and yeah, I needed the money. I shouldn't even have to say that like people might not assume a teenager wants a job to get money. Idiots talk about "knowing people", diversity, etc. but if you never leave your little corner and actually have to produce results, you're full of crap.

I don't care if you went to another country or volunteered in a kitchen. That doesn't teach you diversity necessarily. If you stay with a group of like minded people and are insulated by guides or you work in a kitchen and don't really have to communicate with people to answer their questions and deal with things they don't like, then you might be less diversified and less knowledgeable about recognizing personality traits of honest or petty people than the kid who goes and works behind a register or waits tables.

Earpj: The difficult part is that she's in the varsity band,varsity choir, and Pre-AP classes, so her free time is scarce. It'll be alot worse in the fall. Summer band 8-4 M-F in August, and marching practice every morning and evening, plus games on Fridays for a few months after that.

Wow. I'm sure glad my teenage years didn't require a Microsoft Outlook calender just to manage. I would have found that kind of over-scheduled childhood awful. This isn't criticism--i'm just kind of scared to become a parent if this is what a kid's life is expected to be like these days.

I would have loved to have a job, but no one would hire me. Granted, this was in the Paleolithic era, but I'd go in for a kid type job and get rejected because I had no experience. My parents refused to let me get experience as an intern because I wasn't supposed to work for free.

The hidden truth in here is there are a lot of adults who are capable of holding down those starter jobs, but refuse to do so, because they've figured out how to work the system.

Rational Exuberance: Though I do reject my parents generation ideal at being married at 19-20 and having 3 kids by 26. No f'ing way.

HEY. *angry face*

Earpj

that sounds like work to me, just without the paycheck. she's learning accountability and wanting to strive to be better at what she does. at 16, does she need a paycheck? or are these lessons better learned doing things she loves?

i started working at 14 and haven't done much else since.

Sumpinlikedat: Rational Exuberance: Though I do reject my parents generation ideal at being married at 19-20 and having 3 kids by 26. No f'ing way.

HEY. *angry face*

Mom, I will give you grandkids when I am good and ready. LAY OFF!

/the holidays always brings this around

I can see encouraging your teen to study hard rather than work at some crappy job where they'll make almost no money, and probably be miserable (or get locked in a room and assaulted by their manager's boyfriend). The money they make flipping burgers will put much less of a dent in future tuition than a decent scholarship will.

I have worked since i was 16 and am 19 now. I am one of the few kids, I know, who works at college. I don't know how the rest can afford to not work.

/worked at a gas station for 3 years
//never got robbed

Rational Exuberance: I can honestly say I treat service industry people much nicer than I probably would otherwise. I can empathize with them looking back.

Agreed. I treat service and retail people better than the majority because I've been in their shoes. I also try to be more patient if the service or speed isn't the best - only as long as they are trying. They are hard jobs in their own way.

/also tips 20% as a standard unless the service was really shiatty.
//On rare occasions, I've tipped more for exceptional service.

They're too busy taking care of their babies. Duh.

Rational Exuberance:
Adolescence has become very extended, it seems. My sister just moved out of the house last year, and she's 24. My brother still lives with the parents. I moved out at 18 - I was a grownup and it was time to go. Though I do reject my parents generation ideal at being married at 19-20 and having 3 kids by 26. No f'ing way.

We've been artificially extending childhood for ages and ages. Not too long ago, 18 year olds would marry, raise familes, run business empires, explore new worlds, rule kingdoms and wage wars. Each generation of parents seems bent on delaying their kid's adulthood more and more.

Rational Exuberance: Mom, I will give you grandkids when I am good and ready. LAY OFF!

/the holidays always brings this around

Heh, it was more because I resemble that remark.
. *
. /\26
. //\\3 kids
.///\\\married twice
. ||

Hey look, it's a Christmas tree!

Started working after school when I was 13. (1980)

My parents had plenty of money and I had everything I needed.

Had to work for the things I wanted.

Sumpinlikedat: Hey look, it's a Christmas tree!

Well, sort of, anyway.

"Boomers became responsible adults because they were forced to work for everything they got,"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! if this were digg, i'd "bury for inaccuracy" for that one line.

From FTA: "You can either go to school or you can work, but you can't do both."

If you don't have any real world experience, all the education in the world is going to be exactly squat. What are you going to put on the resume for work experience? "Played PS3 and Xbox360 all day. Hung out with friends and charged up the family credit card."

If you have no experience to show, how are employers going to know that you can handle working? Jobs are not just about the money (even though that is nice), they are also about time management and showing that you can work with people you don't necessarily like and do things you don't like to do. There is also a sense of respect that you get when you know you put in a honest day's work.

What is going to happen when these kids actually do have to start working? It'll be shock to the system for them and mommy and daddy will be there to help cuddle them. Their kids will never become adults as they'll never be independent from their parents.

Thanks, Generation Me. Yet another aspect of parenting that you have managed to screw up.

Boomers became responsible adults because they were forced to work for everything they got

Uh, no. Their parents (who truly are the Greatest Generation) spoiled their kids which turned them into narcissistic, greedy, self-absorbed people who can't be bothered to do anything that doesn't benefit them.

Now, the Boomers are doing that to their kids.

Back when I was a teenager, I had a job after school. This is concrete proof that all teenagers back then worked hard and were polite and smart. All teenagers nowadays without exception are just lazy, dumb, and expect handouts. Within 10 years, society is going to crumble and we will all be flinging our crap at each other.

stiletto_the_wise: And many parents see more value in their children's extracurricular activities than paying jobs because clubs and community service look good on college applications.

This is telling. Idle leisure counts for more on a college application than hard work? No wonder this next generation is farked--even the educators don't know what's important.

Hard work is generally a positive thing. The problem is that most high school jobs are pretty rote. How is flipping burgers really going to help you? Sure, you'll gain an appreciation for money, but at what cost?

If a student picks the right extracurricular activities, (s)he'll work just as hard. . . and maybe even learn something besides the proper temperature range for the fry cooker. I think that's what the colleges have in mind.

Gas is expensive and minimum wage hasn't gone up much. Coincidence?

Sumpinlikedat: I don't get it. My family didn't need the money, but I worked. I wanted extra spending money and it gave me a way to get out and work with people, and build up my interpersonal skills.

Me too...but I spent the money on dope, booze, and high performance auto parts.

First of all, TommyBahama, I'm stunned. How did you get away with not working for 22 years? I'm not trying to imply any judgment...just how did you do it?

I've worked in retail and waitressing since I was 16! In high school I worked over the summer. (Thankfully, I didn't have to during the school year - my parents were cool with that.) In college, I sometimes worked 2 part-time jobs. Then, after I graduated, I got a "real" job for four years. Now, I'm in law school and I still at least pick up a couple of shifts at the local chain bookstore when I'm short on cash or on break. I'm not much older than you. Everyone I know did more or less the same thing through their higher education. I don't know anyone who could afford to not work!

Secondly, you know what's awesome? Watching a high school kid hand in an application at "Big Chain Bookstore" that has $12/hr. filled in the Salary Desired column. Their little hearts break when I laugh in their faces....

Sumpinlikedat: Rational Exuberance: Mom, I will give you grandkids when I am good and ready. LAY OFF!

/the holidays always brings this around

Heh, it was more because I resemble that remark.
. *
. /\26
. //\\3 kids
.///\\\married twice
. ||

Hey look, it's a Christmas tree!

Not trying to offend or anything - I think it goes more to stiletto_the_wise comment that we have been extending adolescence for awhile. My parents got married young, their parents probably younger. I just wonder how far it should go. Moving out at 30? Seems closer and closer every day.

And my mom really does bug me about grandkids - but she probably sees me with the same confusion that I see my siblings who still live at home.

The ones that don't work are all too busy with their z-box video cartridge systems, and their hula hoops, and their pre-marital sexual intercourse. It's sickening, and a disgrace, and I weep for humanity!