By Samarah Guy   

Photo by: Samarah Guy

With the rise of teenagers working, it is important to look at the pros and cons of adolescents with jobs.  

Working can provide critical life lessons for young adults. It also gives them an opportunity to further explore different career paths while earning some spending money.  

“I’ve learned a lot while working, like communication and time management,” sophomore Mariah Mann said. 

Although some may say having a job as a teenager can be very time-consuming, it helps kids understand how valuable time is and teaches them how to schedule plans around important events. 

Teens can learn things like responsibility, how to work in stressful situations and building more confidence while staying active and motivated. Working also helps them to create a good work ethic. 

The teenage years are the best times for kids to learn these critical skills. Because the brain is still developing, it is easier to consume and hold new information.  

“Working teaches you that it is important to show up on time, you learn how to take orders, you have responsibility and commitment,” guidance counselor Mrs. Laura Klipa said.  

Regardless of the benefits, there are still some downfalls to working during the adolescent years.  

“Kids tend to devote more and more of their time and energy to their job, so much that they start to lose time for things like school,” Klipa added.  

Having a job can be very time-consuming and may end up leaving no time for things like hanging out with friends, family plans or hobbies.  

“Kids tend to see their first paycheck and lose the sight that a diploma and doing well in school is really going to ultimately give them a higher pay,” she said.  

Many kids put off schoolwork because they are earning money and feel that school isn’t as important anymore. This hurts kids because they still need to learn new information, and they may not be ready to completely give up their adolescence. 

On top of not being motivated, having work immediately after school most days of the week may cause students to struggle with sleeping and keeping their focus on assignments. 

“Trying to balance work and school can be hard at times, but you just have to make sure you push through and don’t give up,” senior Demetrious Daniels said.