damn you, economy!

[pinkspudbrit]

Isn't there enough pain and suffering in the world?I remember when I was 17 and had an $100 allowance...oh wait no, I worked 20 hours per week as a crabby cashier in a grocery store for $6.50 an hour. I'm glad that teenagers are trying to get jobs to avoid more parental mooching, but really, what is the point of all the parental mooching in the

Comments

[ounceofreason]

I didn't have a real job until I was 19..!

Then again, I also have the work ethic of a sleepy monkey, so...

[pinkspudbrit]

my first job was working at a deli when i was 15. the owners didn't realize it was against nh law to have people under 18 working meat slicers. i cut myself on my second day of work, and was given no more hours.

i emailed my parents with this article and told them i would've preferred $100 per week instead of working at the grocery store, and my mother replied that it was "good for my soul." my soul is enriched because i sold a lot of bud light.

[pinkspudbrit]

but that kid is like, 'whatever, my pizza budget is $500/month.'

when i think about this more it is not a matter of it being the kids' fault. who wouldn't take $100/week no strings attached over burger king?

this is sort of a class issue too--the article almost makes it seem like working during school is undesirable to admissions committees at really competitive colleges. but not everyone *can't* work. some students' parents cannot afford to give their kids so much money and what not that the kid has to work to afford things like school trips and computers for college. when i was in high school i worked at a grocery store for 2 and a half years and saved up the money to go on my school's trip to europe and to send myself to geek summer camp--all in the same year! i would not be afforded these opportunities if i didn't have an after school job.

working is ultimately good though--you learn how to spend your time wisely and get things done. i do call bullshit on this one--some people coddle their children way too much.

[ounceofreason]

I don't think I've *ever* spent $100/week on pizza/games/frivilous crap, even at the height of college credit card idiocy. Who are these kids, and how can I take their stuff???

[pinkspudbrit]

maybe we should write the nytimes claiming to be doing a follow-up article on their fascinating "the rich get slightly less rich: the passion of the teenager" series.