per request, a few old op/ed pieces
I never make public posts in this thing anymore, but if you're interested in reading two of my editorials from the paper in recent weeks, here they are:
Today, it costs more than ever to raise a child. An article on Yahoo! News stated that, in 2005, middle class families spent an average of $190,980 to take care of the needs and wants of a child from birth to age 18.
The expense of raising children climbs every year. Necessities like clothing and shelter, and “luxuries” like music lessons and summer camp constantly increase in cost.
Often, the expense of children’s wants eclipses that of their needs. Designer fashions and portable digital music players can cost hundreds of dollars. Young people can live without these things, yet parents are going deeper into debt to purchase them for their children. Why?
Everyone wants their children to have a better life than they had, and parents often feel that catering to every financial want will somehow help their children achieve that end. However, instead this attitude often leads to the raising of spoiled, entitled brats, such as the whiny princesses dominating the screen on MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16.”
Of course, most children from middle-class backgrounds will never reach this super-snobby level of entitlement, but many of today’s children seem to feel that they should be handed everything they want without caring about where the money comes from.
In the long run, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to put money away for a child’s college fund instead of purchasing a video iPod?
Instead of automatically giving a child whatever he or she asks for, no matter the cost, parents should give children more of a sense of financial responsibility. Tell them the family’s financial situation, in simple terms that they can understand. Be honest. If the family can’t afford the item, let them know. Even if money is not a huge issue, make sure children understand what things cost.
And, if a teenager has a craving for high-end items, suggest that he or she obtain a part-time job on weekends or during the summer months. Sure, teens are busier than ever before, with school commitments and extracurricular activities, but if they really want an expensive gadget, they can find a way to earn their own money for it. Or, they can learn to live without it.
Children will not be irreparably scarred if they do not have the most expensive toys or the latest fashions, and they will not be traumatized by frank discussions concerning finances, or by holding down a part-time job. In fact, they may grow up to be more responsible and better able to handle their money. They will also be more prepared for the disappointment that they will inevitably experience in life. How can you be prepared to survive in a world where nothing is guaranteed when you were handed every luxury as a child?
There’s nothing wrong with treating a child to the occasional expensive toy or outfit. It becomes a problem when these “treats” become the norm, at the expense of the family’s credit rating.
In a recent opinion piece in the “New York Times,” guest columnist Anya Kamenetz questioned the value of the unpaid internship in regards to getting college students a decent foothold in the workplace.
Kamenetz presents the argument that these unpaid internships may actually hurt the economy and students’ future careers, writing that these unpaid workers help companies to function while cutting jobs. According to Kamenetz, unpaid interns also learn to accept the fact that they will work long hours for little money, making future battles for benefits and fair treatment in their careers more difficult. Unpaid internships also lead to student debt and financial struggles.
However, the fact is that, despite the aforementioned drawbacks, such unpaid positions are essential for getting ahead in today’s society. Ideally, all interns should receive a stipend, but not every company can afford to pay their interns, especially smaller organizations. And, while some internships don’t pay monetarily, they make up for it by giving students invaluable experience in their chosen career fields.
Kamenetz feels that intern-employer relations place too much of an emphasis on networking to get ahead in a career, writing that “they [unpaid internships] enhance the power of social connections over ability to match people with desirable careers.”
But, whether people like it or not, social connections are paramount in career advancement. If you don’t know people that can help you find a position, no matter how much talent you have, it will be much more difficult to get ahead.
According to Kamenetz, unpaid interns also fail to learn the value of real work, since unpaid internships are merely “fake jobs” where students learn no marketable skills to advance their careers. Unpaid internships are focused more on “fun” than learning marketable career skills.
Kamenetz feels that, rather than complete an unpaid internship, students should spend their summers waiting tables. “Long hours on your feet waiting tables may not be particularly edifying, but they teach you that work is a routine of obligation, relieved by external reward, where you contribute value to a larger enterprise,” wrote Kamenetz.
Despite Kamenetz’s claims, internships can also provide this sense of satisfaction that comes from hard work and sacrifice. Any internship, whether paid or unpaid, is only as beneficial as the amount of work and effort an intern is willing to put forth. Unpaid internships are excellent for teaching students a work ethic, if they’re willing to learn and ask questions. And, interns can contribute a great deal to a company, if they’re willing to start at the bottom performing menial tasks. Interns at a newspaper office, for example, may start out running errands, but drive and determination can get them published articles. And, these published pieces look thousands of times better on a resume to a potential employer at a newspaper than six years of waiting tables.
If you guys have any comments about these, feel free to debate :)
Today, it costs more than ever to raise a child. An article on Yahoo! News stated that, in 2005, middle class families spent an average of $190,980 to take care of the needs and wants of a child from birth to age 18.
The expense of raising children climbs every year. Necessities like clothing and shelter, and “luxuries” like music lessons and summer camp constantly increase in cost.
Often, the expense of children’s wants eclipses that of their needs. Designer fashions and portable digital music players can cost hundreds of dollars. Young people can live without these things, yet parents are going deeper into debt to purchase them for their children. Why?
Everyone wants their children to have a better life than they had, and parents often feel that catering to every financial want will somehow help their children achieve that end. However, instead this attitude often leads to the raising of spoiled, entitled brats, such as the whiny princesses dominating the screen on MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16.”
Of course, most children from middle-class backgrounds will never reach this super-snobby level of entitlement, but many of today’s children seem to feel that they should be handed everything they want without caring about where the money comes from.
In the long run, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to put money away for a child’s college fund instead of purchasing a video iPod?
Instead of automatically giving a child whatever he or she asks for, no matter the cost, parents should give children more of a sense of financial responsibility. Tell them the family’s financial situation, in simple terms that they can understand. Be honest. If the family can’t afford the item, let them know. Even if money is not a huge issue, make sure children understand what things cost.
And, if a teenager has a craving for high-end items, suggest that he or she obtain a part-time job on weekends or during the summer months. Sure, teens are busier than ever before, with school commitments and extracurricular activities, but if they really want an expensive gadget, they can find a way to earn their own money for it. Or, they can learn to live without it.
Children will not be irreparably scarred if they do not have the most expensive toys or the latest fashions, and they will not be traumatized by frank discussions concerning finances, or by holding down a part-time job. In fact, they may grow up to be more responsible and better able to handle their money. They will also be more prepared for the disappointment that they will inevitably experience in life. How can you be prepared to survive in a world where nothing is guaranteed when you were handed every luxury as a child?
There’s nothing wrong with treating a child to the occasional expensive toy or outfit. It becomes a problem when these “treats” become the norm, at the expense of the family’s credit rating.
In a recent opinion piece in the “New York Times,” guest columnist Anya Kamenetz questioned the value of the unpaid internship in regards to getting college students a decent foothold in the workplace.
Kamenetz presents the argument that these unpaid internships may actually hurt the economy and students’ future careers, writing that these unpaid workers help companies to function while cutting jobs. According to Kamenetz, unpaid interns also learn to accept the fact that they will work long hours for little money, making future battles for benefits and fair treatment in their careers more difficult. Unpaid internships also lead to student debt and financial struggles.
However, the fact is that, despite the aforementioned drawbacks, such unpaid positions are essential for getting ahead in today’s society. Ideally, all interns should receive a stipend, but not every company can afford to pay their interns, especially smaller organizations. And, while some internships don’t pay monetarily, they make up for it by giving students invaluable experience in their chosen career fields.
Kamenetz feels that intern-employer relations place too much of an emphasis on networking to get ahead in a career, writing that “they [unpaid internships] enhance the power of social connections over ability to match people with desirable careers.”
But, whether people like it or not, social connections are paramount in career advancement. If you don’t know people that can help you find a position, no matter how much talent you have, it will be much more difficult to get ahead.
According to Kamenetz, unpaid interns also fail to learn the value of real work, since unpaid internships are merely “fake jobs” where students learn no marketable skills to advance their careers. Unpaid internships are focused more on “fun” than learning marketable career skills.
Kamenetz feels that, rather than complete an unpaid internship, students should spend their summers waiting tables. “Long hours on your feet waiting tables may not be particularly edifying, but they teach you that work is a routine of obligation, relieved by external reward, where you contribute value to a larger enterprise,” wrote Kamenetz.
Despite Kamenetz’s claims, internships can also provide this sense of satisfaction that comes from hard work and sacrifice. Any internship, whether paid or unpaid, is only as beneficial as the amount of work and effort an intern is willing to put forth. Unpaid internships are excellent for teaching students a work ethic, if they’re willing to learn and ask questions. And, interns can contribute a great deal to a company, if they’re willing to start at the bottom performing menial tasks. Interns at a newspaper office, for example, may start out running errands, but drive and determination can get them published articles. And, these published pieces look thousands of times better on a resume to a potential employer at a newspaper than six years of waiting tables.
If you guys have any comments about these, feel free to debate :)