Having a job at a young age is an extra responsibility that can be extremely challenging. My parents require me to have good grades to be able to stay at my job. School comes first, but sometimes it is hard to prioritize when I barely have time for homework during late nights. 

For some students, they have to balance work, school, and after school activities like clubs and sports. This can cause lots of unwanted stress and cause students to decline in certain areas of their life. Having school alone is a challenge for many students, so the added pressure  of a job may not be worth it in some cases.

 Also, all of these responsibilities can cause a student’s social life to worsen. Working weekends can easily cause this to happen. Having a horrible social life can cause a student’s mental health to worsen, which can lead to a plethora of problems.

  Having a job is a responsibility even some adults can feel stressed out; between bosses and deadlines, there’s an abundance of stress. This is why some adults may not think it fit for a teen to have a job, which is another hurdle that a teen wishing to enter the workforce must overcome. 

However, there are obvious benefits that can make having a job beyond worth it. One benefit, my personal favorite, is getting paid). Having a continuous stream of income is amazing because workers do not have to rely on other people to purchase extra  things like concert tickets or expensive clothes. Also, since young teens most likely have no bills to pay, they are free to spend their money in any way they would like.

Having money also can teach workers how to budget and save up. For example, I am learning to put 50 dollars away each paycheck to buy myself a pair of Apple headphones. Having a job also allows teens to learn responsibility, like needing to call if they are absent or late. This allows them  to work on communication. 

Furthermore for some, having a job allows them to learn new skills. For example, I work at a swim school, so I not only learn how to teach young children, but also many helpful swim skills.. I also have learned valuable life lessons, such as time management skills  and how to interact professionally in a workplace setting. 

Overall, it’s easy to see that having a job at a young age has pros and cons, and the choice is up to the student and parents.