You are preparing a pamphlet to be distributed to adolescents and their parents about the dangers of working part-time

Question

What information should you include? Are there any suggestions you can give about part-time employment that would allow it to be a good experience?
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A good answer will include the following key points:
- School performance suffers: When students work more than 15 hours per week, they devote less time to homework and are more apt to cut classes.
- There are mental health and behavioral problems: Adolescents who work more than 15 hours per week are more likely to experience anxiety and depression, and their self-esteem often suffers. Extensive part-time work frequently leads to substance abuse and more frequent problem behavior.
- Affluence is misleading: The typical teenage pattern is "earn and spend." Few working teenagers set aside much of their income for future goals or use it to contribute to their family's expenses. For many teenagers, the part-time work provides unrealistic expectations of how income can be allocated.
- Suggestions for how to make part-time employment a good experience: Limit the hours to five to 10 per week. Encourage adolescents to take jobs where they are using existing skills, acquiring new skills, and receiving effective mentoring so that their self-esteem is enhanced. Encourage adolescents to save their money or use it to pay for clothes or school expenses.