Some people think it’s very good for teens to have jobs because it prepares them for the real world and gives them a sense of responsibility. Working also gives people confidence and other skills they can use later in life.
Some people also think that teens shouldn’t have jobs because it often fails to teach valuable skills. Researchers have found that most jobs held by high schoolers do not teach skills that can lead to any kind of career advancement. It can instill negative views about work since most teens work long and slow tedious jobs.
According to Zippia, “Just under 30% of high school-age students have jobs. This percentage is higher for students with summer jobs, as 30.8% of 16- to 19-year-olds worked during the summer of 2020.”
Affecting sleep
Some teens that have jobs don’t get the right amount of sleep because they go to school, go to work, and then try to do their homework. Furthermore, some teens also play sports which also adds more stress and less sleep which can affect your academic performance and your learning.
In an article published in the National Library of Medicine, stated, “Several studies have shown that working adolescents wake up earlier, have a shorter nocturnal sleep duration and a higher level of sleepiness during wake time during the week than nonworking students do. These studies indicate that working students may have their learning ability negatively affected by being tired and sleepy.” This study goes on to recommend “the workhours of teenagers should be shortened in order to allow them to work and study during daytime and to have enough time at night for leisure and rest.”
Stress?
Some teens’ schedules are to go to school until two-thirty workout for an hour, go to work around four-thirty come home eat dinner, and start homework then which also corporates into affecting sleep. Also if your job is far away and you don’t work enough when you get your paycheck and you can’t
Pros and cons PROS
Some pros to having a job as a teen Jobs can help teens feel more confident and independent.
Jobs help teens develop a sense of responsibility. According to CNBC.COM, “students who work actually get better grades.”
Some studies show that students who work 10 to 15 hours a week during the school year earn higher grades than students who do not work at all.
CONS
Some cons to having a job as a teen. Teens who work may find it difficult to keep up extracurricular activities and friendships. Higher rates of absenteeism and less school involvement. Development of negative views of work itself
Interviews
Junior Joseph Sanfilippo has a job at Walgreens. Sanfilippo does not do any sports but he does do some clubs like fandom club and Heroes and Cool Kids. Heroes and cool kids is a mentoring program, where school athletes and accomplished students mentor 5th and 1st-grade students within the school district.
Sanfilippo stated that sometimes he works with people that make it more stressful and affects his performance at work. Sanfilippo has a strong desire to be successful at any job which adds undue stress to him and his job for him to perform at 100%. this is especially challenging trying to learn a new skill.
Sanfilippo says that he is a procrastinator so he said he does find himself staying up later some nights stressed and doing school work. If he does stay up late the night before he says he feels groggy and stressed. Sanfilippo also said that having a job did not entirely boost my confidence.
Senior Chris Gonzalez held three different jobs in a year and a half. He worked at various fast food places and currently works at Pret a Manger, an organic food restaurant. Gonzalez averages about 30 hours per week and finds it challenging to balance work and school. A normal work shift for him starts at 2 PM and goes until 10PM. After traveling home from work, he then has to get homework done. Gonzalez feels stressed thinking about how he will get certain assignments turned in with getting home so late from work. He works to pay his $400 monthly car insurance bill.
Ultimately, Gonzalez feels teens should work because it gives teens people-skills. “Working in customer service allows you to navigate more difficult situations that deal with people. Nowhere else will you get to develop these skills than at a job. It is better to start developing these skills in high school because they will help you with your career someday.”
