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I first looked for work when I was 14-15 and got my first job at 16. No one forced me to do it. It was liberating to have some money and I liked taking some res

by slily 3y ago

I first looked for work when I was 14-15 and got my first job at 16. No one forced me to do it. It was liberating to have some money and I liked taking some responsibility. But I had trouble finding an employer that hired minors. As far as I'm concerned making it easier for minors to find work is great. And when I see "child labor" I think of 8-year-olds forced to work, not 16-year-olds doing so of their own volition. Sounds like lowering the barriers will benefit poor families the most, despite the clear bias against it in the article.

codegeek 3y ago
I am thinking the same. I would rather have my 15-16 year old working on 6 hour hard labor job learning real life skills than playing video games or their IPad. So this is not a simple thing and we need to look at the nuances and details. This article is very low quality without any specifics. I personally think that we have gone in the other direction too much where our kids are overprotected from real life skills and are shielded too much until they are in early 20s and then they struggle big time. I know at least 2 20+ year olds who are very lost and have never worked a real job in their life. Personally as a parent, I have no issues getting my kids getting a tough shit job in a McDonalds for a 5-6 hour shift. Does that count as Child Labor ?
- triceratops 3y ago
  > I would rather have my 15-16 year old working on 6 hour hard labor job learning real life skills than playing video games or their IPad. If only we lived in a world with more than 2 choices for everything... > McDonalds for a 5-6 hour shift. Does that count as Child Labor ? No, if there are health and safety protections in place and enforced. And it's not interfering with schoolwork or rest.
Unearned5161 3y ago
perhaps the friction for minors looking for a job exists for good reason. the focus at that age should be school, not work, i recognize that there are those less fortunate that can't afford to do school sans work, but the solution to that should be financial aid, not making them work. society's goal should be to get a more educated populace, by lowering the friction to enter the workforce at such a young age you're endangering that group of kids on the edge who, given more friction, would have stayed in school and gone to do greater things, but since it was so easy to get into work so early they lowered the overall potential of their lives. so regarding the poor families this would supposedly help, I'd argue it's more complicated than that, and what this may be doing is providing short term help while sacrificing long term social mobility. keep the poor working and not learning and they'll mostly stay poor. there's nothing wrong of course with a part time gig to get accustomed to different responsibilities, but it should remain restricted to that. you've got your entire life to work full-time, there's no need to rush things.
Supermancho 3y ago
I first looked for work when I was 16 in California. After a couple rejections, I stopped until I was 18 and easily got the first job I applied for. I feel like everyone lost out for arbitrary reasons.
Broken_Hippo 3y ago
On the other hand, I knew folks that worked because they had to. Schoolwork suffered, and they didn't really have dreams of college. Poverty does this, especially if you are just above the cutoff lines for help. One friend didn't have to work, but her rules were that once she started to work, she had to stay working. Nevermind that she was still in school. Not just that, but young folks are easier to exploit. And that's one of those issues: When you take away protections and barriers, you make it easier for people to be exploited. This doesn't help poor families: Actually making sure folks have the money for young folks only work by choice does.
- pixl97 3y ago
  > but young folks are easier to exploit. Exactly, this is why have laws against the sexual exploitation of minors by adults. It is much easier much easier to talk a minor in to doing something that is not in their favor by their lack of life experience. Does this mean minors should not work... No. Things like apprenticeships and things that are low risk of injury should be fine. Myself, I grew up on a farm and every damned thing there is looking to remove some part of your body. I knew young people that had limbs removed on their family farm by what would be simple mistakes, but hey have a life long impact.

by slily 3y ago

codegeek 3y ago

I am thinking the same. I would rather have my 15-16 year old working on 6 hour hard labor job learning real life skills than playing video games or their IPad. So this is not a simple thing and we need to look at the nuances and details. This article is very low quality without any specifics. I personally think that we have gone in the other direction too much where our kids are overprotected from real life skills and are shielded too much until they are in early 20s and then they struggle big time. I know at least 2 20+ year olds who are very lost and have never worked a real job in their life. Personally as a parent, I have no issues getting my kids getting a tough shit job in a McDonalds for a 5-6 hour shift. Does that count as Child Labor ?

triceratops 3y ago
> I would rather have my 15-16 year old working on 6 hour hard labor job learning real life skills than playing video games or their IPad. If only we lived in a world with more than 2 choices for everything... > McDonalds for a 5-6 hour shift. Does that count as Child Labor ? No, if there are health and safety protections in place and enforced. And it's not interfering with schoolwork or rest.

Unearned5161 3y ago

perhaps the friction for minors looking for a job exists for good reason. the focus at that age should be school, not work, i recognize that there are those less fortunate that can't afford to do school sans work, but the solution to that should be financial aid, not making them work. society's goal should be to get a more educated populace, by lowering the friction to enter the workforce at such a young age you're endangering that group of kids on the edge who, given more friction, would have stayed in school and gone to do greater things, but since it was so easy to get into work so early they lowered the overall potential of their lives. so regarding the poor families this would supposedly help, I'd argue it's more complicated than that, and what this may be doing is providing short term help while sacrificing long term social mobility. keep the poor working and not learning and they'll mostly stay poor. there's nothing wrong of course with a part time gig to get accustomed to different responsibilities, but it should remain restricted to that. you've got your entire life to work full-time, there's no need to rush things.

Supermancho 3y ago

I first looked for work when I was 16 in California. After a couple rejections, I stopped until I was 18 and easily got the first job I applied for. I feel like everyone lost out for arbitrary reasons.

Broken_Hippo 3y ago

On the other hand, I knew folks that worked because they had to. Schoolwork suffered, and they didn't really have dreams of college. Poverty does this, especially if you are just above the cutoff lines for help. One friend didn't have to work, but her rules were that once she started to work, she had to stay working. Nevermind that she was still in school. Not just that, but young folks are easier to exploit. And that's one of those issues: When you take away protections and barriers, you make it easier for people to be exploited. This doesn't help poor families: Actually making sure folks have the money for young folks only work by choice does.

pixl97 3y ago
> but young folks are easier to exploit. Exactly, this is why have laws against the sexual exploitation of minors by adults. It is much easier much easier to talk a minor in to doing something that is not in their favor by their lack of life experience. Does this mean minors should not work... No. Things like apprenticeships and things that are low risk of injury should be fine. Myself, I grew up on a farm and every damned thing there is looking to remove some part of your body. I knew young people that had limbs removed on their family farm by what would be simple mistakes, but hey have a life long impact.