Should 14-years Old Teenagers be allowed to Hold Jobs? (Essay Sample)

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Should 14-years Old Teenagers be allowed to Hold Jobs?
A quarter of 14-years old teenagers in the US currently hold jobs. Most of the jobs are in the hotel industry, where they serve as waiters and cooks, earning $7.25 an hour. However, despite the financial benefits, they should not work because it lowers their productivity, earning potential, and exposes them to mental health issues in the future.
Allowing them to work lowers their productivity in the future. As Einarsdóttir and Snorradóttir found, “teenagers in intensive work could be at risk of long-term musculoskeletal problems” (8). Developing these problems at a young age can hinder their lifting and movement capabilities, lowering their productivity. Therefore, they should not be allowed to have jobs.
Working also hinders them from getting well-paying professional jobs in the future. Most teenagers working part-time have reported, “low performance and potential school evasion” (Pires et al. 6). Such outcomes disqualify them from getting high-paying professional jobs in the future, lowering their earning potential and condemning them to poverty. Therefore, parents should not allow them to hold positions.
Working also adversely affects their mental health in the future. Pires et al. emphasize that early work exposure “results in precocious adulthood” (6). Exposure to adult stress at such a young age increases the risk of developing depression, negatively affecting their mental health. Therefore, these children should not be allowed to work.
Nevertheless, opposing factions argue that working increases children’s purchasing power, allowing them to afford their wants. Specifically, Pires et al. found that working children from low-income families could fund needs their parents could not afford (6). Whereas it is true, children don’t have to work to afford these needs. Parents can work more hours to provide these wants, s