Due to living in a time with rising costs, most teens are forced to help support their families due to a lack of family income. On the one hand, working while studying can show independence, valuable work experience, and time management skills. However, it can also increase stress, academic decline, and reduce social skills. Understanding the pros and cons of student employment is crucial, as it shows the need for skills that these teens need to become adults, ensuring that students can thrive in school and in their personal lives.
The priority of a student is to ensure that they get good grades for their future. In our day and age, with the rise of the cost of living according to Natalie Todoroff on Cost-of-living Facts and Statistics 2024, “Data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) — a key metric from the Bureau of Labor Statistics used to measure inflation — show that prices increased 3 percent between June 2023 and June 2024.” This evidence shows how everything will continue to rise in cost, and the average middle-class student will remain the same. So, students getting jobs is a good way to to implement leadership and responsibility skills in their lives. Also, students will need to find a balance between working and focusing on school by finding ways to get fewer hours and get raises so they get paid a fair amount, which can be hard. So, a student’s main priority should be getting good grades and not worrying about when their next shift at McDonalds is.
Students who choose to work have little time to socialize with friends, meaning that some teenagers can get secluded in an infinite schoolwork, sleep, repeat cycle. Many people can become depressed while working on the job, for example according to HealthLine.com, “If you feel depressed when working, you’re not alone. Sadness, anxiety, loss of motivation, difficulty concentrating, unexplained bouts of crying, and boredom are just a small sampling of the things you may be feeling if you’re experiencing depressive symptoms at work.” Signs of depression can show while working and can impact a students grades as well. The focus of teenagers should be making friends and having fun, but today to stay afloat, teens often have to sacrifice this for their work.
Young adults, or late teens have big responsibilities at home and need to take care of either a younger sibling, or a pet. Having a job while in high school can reduce the time available to help with family, chores, and responsibilities, leading to increased stress and more workloads for other family members. It can also make it challenging to attend family gatherings or events, potentially affecting family relationships. Balancing work and school may result in stress, which can impact talking with family if you’re feeling tired or overwhelmed. However, earning money may allow for contributions to family bills. So, in the end there are many upsides and downsides to working as a teenager, and it is important that we understand these pros and cons.
