ALT-3 Is it right for Teenagers to get Jobs
Many teenagers work part time in addition to their studies and find the experience to be a positive one. There are many skills that can be learned through part time work, as well as the fact that it can make teens more independent. On the other side though working too much can often interfere with a teenager's studies and affect their grades, so maintaining a balance is always important.
Teenagers getting themselves part time jobs whilst still in school or college helps them with the important transition between being a teenager and an adult, and helps prepare them for the working environment and supporting themselves. Important life skills such as how to prepare taxes, budgeting money and the basics of banking are also conveyed through working, and aren't something that can be learned anywhere else.
Teenagers who have to experience spending and saving their own earned money will also get a better sense of what money is worth, and have a more healthy work ethic. Knowing how far money will go and budgeting accordingly is something that everyone needs to learn at some point, and it is better to learn these kinds of lessons while still supported by your parents than out in the real world.
If a teenager does find managing money difficult with a part time job, then at least it is at a time where there is time to learn the right habits and receive instruction and guidance from their parents, Many people find themselves out in the real world having not worked before and suddenly having to manage money and pay bills.
Knowing how to pay bills and take care of things like taxes also helps prepare teenagers for more advanced things a little later in life such as making mortgage payments or buying a first car.
Working part time in a job that they don't particularly enjoy can still be beneficial for teenagers because it can have the effect of inspiring them to reach greater heights with their own careers and not to settle for less than they can achieve.
Similarly if a teenager has paid for something themselves they are more likely to have pride in their possessions and keep the maintained rather then letting them get ruined. For example is a teenager has to save up money to buy a new sports team shirt than they are more likely to want to keep it in good condition than if their parents had paid for it.
The reason being that they will realize how much work goes into paying for something, and will develop a greater appreciation for things than they had before.
The main argument against teenagers getting jobs is that it can be detrimental to their studies, and can make their grades drop if they become more concerned with their job than their school work.
This is especially true if they work in a job which requires them to either stay up late, or change their sleeping patterns regularly such as shift or bar work. Having had to stay up most of the night working, then trying to get up and concentrate at school the next day is obviously very difficult.
Studies have shown that the more hours someone works whilst they are also studying, then the worse their overall grades will be, which is why sometimes it is better to set a limit of how many hours you want your teen to work. This then ensures that they have plenty of time for study and still time to have a social life as well, which can often be a difficult balancing act.
Overall though, provided the teenager doesn't become too focused on their job over their schoolwork, then it is probably a good thing for them to have jobs. That way they will be better prepared for when they have to find a full time job, and will know what's going on with regards to their pay, hours etc, as well as knowing the appropriate way to behave in the working environment.
