McJobs Are Bad for Kids Essay

I thought Amitai Etzionis article The Fast-Food Factories McJobs argon Bad for Kids, was both accurate and convincing. His assertion that riotous intellectual nourishment jobs, impart few skills useful in later life, and skew the values of teenagers, is correct. At first blush, these jobs seem idea for teaching young mass responsibility and self-discipline. But, when examining issues the author mentions as vetos such as hours worked, appropriate supervision, job training, opportunity for makement, responsible behaviors, and affects on academics card-playing food employment does appear to pass water a negative effect on teens.The add of hours worked usually equate to how much money you make. If hours worked is not tempered with other responsibilities, such as take aim activities and adequate rest, teenagers will suffer the negative effects. Teenagers operative(a) in fast food establishments often have hours restrictions of 40 hours per week. Because many fast food establis hments be open late, and require cleanup position and tally-up after hours, many teens can work very long shifts. It was not surprising to learn that teens working a thirty-hour week may do so in two to three days. The author references an unaffixed high school yearbook survey wherein seniors acknowledged that their jobs interfered with their school work a definite negative trade-off.As in any business, fast food establishments must have appropriate management of the processes to honour consistency of the product and enforce safety practices. In many fast food establishments to be a supervisor you must be an adult, defined as eighteen years of age, and complete supervisory courses provided by the employer. Though teenagers were not officially supervisors, in some establishments, supervisory duties are many times appoint to and accomplished by them. And, sometimes, as the author states, there is not an adult on the premises.Each of the fast food establishments requires training, to some degree. Because many of the tasks are simple and repetitive, the vast majority of this training given is unceremonious and on the job. This training can last from a few minutes to a few days. Additionally, the trainers, many times, are other teens. Further, the future put on of the skills learned in these simple and repetitive tasks is questionable.Advancement in many fast food establishments does not exist or is very limited. Advancement usually instrument assignment to other work stations within the restaurant and little or no advance in pay or technical expertise. Designated condole wither paths, leading to management positions are not the average and were not available to the teens interviewed for this paper.Many people think that teens that work will benefit from learning to be responsible. They also think they will develop a strong work ethic which will benefit them throughout their working life. In actuality the benefits of responsible behavior and ethical work h abit are seldom acquired. Punctuality though is considered important. Those teens that are chronically late are disciplined or dismissed. Responsibility seems to be limited to punctuality. Staying on task and using time wisely is not important to teens in the fast food industry. Employee theft is also very problematic. Money is sometimes stolen but the majority of theft involves teens stealth food for themselves and friends. Poor supervision, or no supervision, allows this unethical behavior to develop and become an established norm.Academics are not addressed so consequently are not important in the fast food industry. Long and/or late work hours that may interfere with schoolwork are not considered. Programs that reminder grades to ascertain if work is interfering with education were not found. Some teens say they dont care if you have homework, graduate or want to pursue further education (According to Max Greenwood). Additionally, many teens working in fast food are high schoo l dropouts. This further establishes the environment that doesnt post doing your best, seeking advancement, and furthering your education.Prior to reading this article and doing research, I didnt agree with Etzioni, that teenagers working fast food is bad. To validate Etzionis claims, I interviewed individuals who worked fast food as teens. These individuals reaffirmed that working fast food did not provide appropriate supervision, worked long hours, received little training, didnt have appropriate supervision, and it affected academics negatively.Etzioni, Amitai. Chapter 6 Arguing A Position. The St. Martins Guide to Writing 9th Ed Short Edition I-cite. N.p. Bedford/st Martins, 2010. 280-83. Print.