Sioneh Melkonian

Professor Slobod

English 113B

09 February 2012

The Pitfalls of Money

            Ever since I was a child, I have been taught that things in life are either white or black, and not everything is always as it may seem. I have carried this knowledge with me throughout the years of my youth to help me make better decisions. If one does not examine the negative aspects of a certain decision, they may be blinded by the positive characteristics, and later pay the consequences of their judgments. This brings me to my argument of whether or not a high school student should hold a job during their time of being educated in the fall or spring. It is not in the best interest of a high school student to have a job because of limited regulations on their spending’s, the time consumption of carrying a job and going to school, and the lack of skills developed from part time jobs. Making your own money is an empowering feeling, but there is a time for everything and high school may not be that time to experience that certain feeling.

Adolescence is an unpredictable time in one’s life; therefore, having a job would make it difficult to regulate what a teenager is spending their pay check on . While some parents might find this decision to be wise since it would build character for their children and teach them responsibility, they do not consider the consequences. For instance, when a teenager is making their own income, parents don’t have as much say in what they spend it on because it is difficult to regulate their paycheck. On the other hand, when a parent distributes money, they have the choice of deciding how much money their child should spend. With the extra money that the kids now have, the parents do not know what their children are spending it on. It may be a possibility that it can lead to spending on drugs or alcohol. According to the 2000 National Household Survey On Drug Abuse, “approximately 13 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 reported past month use of cigarettes” and “approximately 16 percent of youths had used alcohol within the past month.” (“Illicit..) Parents who give their kids money have more control on what they spend it on. When a child says that they will be at work from four o’clock to eight o’clock, and then other activities after, a parent cannot know for sure whether or not this is a true statement. As far as the parent knows, they are making four hours’ worth of money, but in reality, the child may be working until nine or ten o’clock. Hence, the child can spend money without their parents’ consent. On the other hand, teenagers with jobs have the freedom to spend their money on aspects such as drugs, alcohol, etc. If teenage jobs were restricted, the number would decrease because the teenagers wouldn’t have the money to buy it. If these children did not have the excessive money to spend, they would have no choice but to spend it only on necessities.

Another fall out of having extra money is not knowing how to spend it. These adolescents may turn to unnecessary spending’s like on very expensive items such as designer jeans, handbags, sunglasses, etc. that only people who make a fairly high amount of money can afford, compared to teenagers in high school. Some people may argue that parents can regulate their teenagers’ spending by keeping their “Earning Statements”; however, since parents have so much going on in their own lives, it is highly likely for them to forget about asking for it. Another possibility would be the child throwing it away. When the subject of money comes up, things may become complicated.

Education is a very important part of a person’s life, especially the first twelve years because there is so much to learn and do, that it is very time consuming and would be difficult to juggle with other responsibilities. Schooling is the only job that a young person should prioritize. If a teenager in high school were to get a job, this would take away time that should be spent on schoolwork. When a teenager gets a job, eventually, they become less attentive with their school work since they are so busy with their job. This is natural because one’s brain and attention focuses on completing specific work tasks rather than concentrating on school. Amitai Etzioni states in his essay that, “jobs may seem right out of the Founding Fathers’ education manual for how to bring up self-reliant, work-ethic-driven, productive youngsters” but “these jobs undermine school attendance and involvement” (Etzioni 316). I agree with the author because of all the time consumption holding a job has on the effects of the schoolwork that needs to be done. Not only does this have a bad effect on the work ethics of student, but eventually, money will become the main motivation. The student will stop caring about the schoolwork because the paycheck they will be receiving will be much more satisfying compared to the grades they have been receiving. Slowly, work becomes a higher priority than school. Furthermore, if a student is focused on a job, it takes away an opportunity for them to participate in extra- curricular activities, such as, sports, and clubs. Extra-curricular activities are more beneficial than a high school job because being part of a high school sport stands out on a college admission application.

Alongside missing time for extra-curricular activities, the business of the work schedules will result in missing deadlines, projects, homework, etc. Teenagers with jobs would have to work no more than an average of four hours per shift according to a California law. This takes away a total of four hours that can be spent on schoolwork, and highly increases the chance to do homework. Moreover, with such a time consuming job, there is barely any time left for some healthy socializing with friends. A teenage mind is not as advanced as an adult’s mind because an adult is used to working long periods of time and not socializing with friends; however, a teenager would become depressed if they do not hang out with their friends, or socialize with their friends for long periods of time. According to Teenage Depression, twenty percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood (“Teenage..). By having a time consuming job and not being able to see their friends, teenagers are at a higher risk of being depressed. Some may argue that having a job is not time consuming due to the limited hours they work on weekdays; however, weekend shifts have a six hour limit. This takes time away to catch up on sleep and homework on the weekends especially since they are likely to be behind in their class work due to working on the weekdays.

With everything in life, we start at the bottom of the food chain and must work ourselves up to the top. It is not always an easy road to travel upon, but everyone must start somewhere. Without a high school diploma, one will not get a rewarding career. The jobs that you are able to get during high school without a diploma are jobs that do not require you to know much. These jobs include working in the restaurant business doing works such as bussing tables, flipping burgers, taking orders, etc. The skills that you learn by having part time jobs during high school are useless for your future. This is because the teenagers are young and in that case not qualified so the only jobs they are able to get won’t contribute to their future career. John Warren states “critics have suggested that employment, as it occurs now (in fast-food restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores, and so forth), does not educate or properly prepare students for adult occupational roles” (Warren 5). The author explains how these jobs do not help build skills for the future occupations of people. Etizioni also states that working at a McDonald’s is a place for “breeding grounds for robots working for yesterday’s assembly lines, not tomorrow’s high-tech posts” (316). A part time job at McDonald’s does not teach life skills that can be used in one’s future, and it also does not take much to be hired for any position. Since you’re told exactly what to do, you’re not developing any skills at all. People may argue that having a job in high school will teach responsibility; however, a teenager earning money by allowance is a better alternative to teach teens to be more responsible. Denise Witmer discusses this concept in her article stating how to make children work for an allowance. This is an effective way to give kids money with regulating their whereabouts and the amount of money they are making.

While there may be some positive outcomes about a high school student getting a job, unfortunately the negative side effects outweigh the positive. It will be difficult to regulate the child’s spending. There is an age where kids just suddenly want to grow up and gain independence; however, they are not old enough to understand the consequences of their decisions. Growing up, I found it difficult to ask my parents for money when I wanted to go out with my friends. This was because I felt like it damaged my self-esteem having to rely on others for money. Moreover, it may be quite time consuming, and part time jobs lack teaching lifelong skills; a big price to pay for such a small reward. When children start to grow up, the transition from childhood to adulthood is a rather challenging one to complete.

Works Cited

Etzioni, Amitai. "Working at McDonald's." Writing with a Thesis. 11th ed. Boston: Lyn Uhl,

2011. 316. Print.

"Illicit Drug Use Among Youths Who Use Cigarettes and Alcohol." Adolescent Substance

Abuse Knowledge Base. 2007. Web. 4 Feb. 2012.

"Teenage Depression Statistics." Teen Depression: Statistics, Prevention, Facts on Teenage

Depression. Web. 4 Feb. 2012.

Warren, John Robert, Paul C. LePore, and Robert D. Mare. "Employment During High School:

Consequences for Students’ Grades in Academic Courses." University of Washington,

Feb. 2000. Web. 2 Feb. 2012.

Witmer, Denise. "How To Give an Allowance That Includes Financial Responsibility."

About.com Guide. Web.