12mo ago

A literal child taking orders in a fast food restaurant in the US

You're viewing a single thread.

328 comments

I worked at an Arcade/Restaurant when I was 13 for 25-30 hours a week. It was absolutely a positive experience for me and it's a shame to see so many people here crucify the idea of any child working at that age. Y'all haven't the slightest idea whats the motivation and just assume they are being forced into it or something. Having a job so young built character and showed me that I was able to get the things I wanted in life if I put in the 'hard' work. Nobody forced me to work those hours, I wanted to! Props to Culver's for providing the opportunity to kids.
- Yup. I was picking up lawn mowing accounts when I was 12-13, and it was the best feeling in the world buying myself the jeep that I wanted two weeks before I turned 16.
- When did you go to school?
  
  Aye you're right I should have specified. 25-30 hours a week was only during the summer months. During the school year it was 10-20 hours, and mostly on weekends. The US has strict laws on what children of that age can work during school days.
- I was delivering papers at 11 or 12. First real job at 14.
  My daughter just turned 14 and she has her first job working one day a week at an after school program.
  This should not be such a big deal. You learn important life skills and have your own money to spend.
  
  I agree 100% but working fast food is very different than an after school work opportunity, come on now.
  I never got an allowance and worked after school jobs alt the elementary/hs/uni but that is a far cry from what some of the child laborers are starting to do here in the US.
  Normalizing this sort of thing is problematic, it’s not about the kid working for money it’s about the setting and expectations of both the employees and the customers. They should be focused on education and being a kid, but they can’t do that when they spend their afternoons at the factory
  https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2023/04/18/child-labor-returns/
  https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-immigration-hyundai/
  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/25/us/unaccompanied-migrant-child-workers-exploitation.html
  Oh, but they can learn about money so it’s okay!!! Give me a fuckin break.
  Yeah Culver’s isn’t nearly as bad but it’s on the same spectrum when it comes to young children like this
  
  What's the difference? You look down on fast food work more?
- This isn't "providing and opportunity". This is exploitation. Full stop.
  
  I had my own computer and car before I turned 18, and it felt empowering to have accomplished this on my own. You and I have drastically different views on what's exploitative. Full stop.
  
  I had my own computer and car before I turned 18
  Child labor laws weren't meant to protect someone like you, they're meant to stop folks from sending their kids to work to pay their rent/mortgage/power/water. Kids should know that paying their parents bills is not ideal, and child labor laws are how we protect them. Without revealing too much about myself, my dad was one of [large number] of children, and they absolutely used those kids for labor at the family farm and were worse off for it. They grew up in poverty (on top of the physical abuse). Basically, these laws aren't supposed to stop young Timmy from buying a [insert gadget here], they're to stop Mom from pulling him out of school for an extra shift because she overdrew her bank account.
  There's no way that kid is 13, by the way. Far too young for working the register at Culver's. At least they don't have him at the deep fryer. If the other comment I see in this thread is to be believed (the one that says this is a Manager's child and school was closed), it's probably not as nefarious as it seems. Republican states have been in the news fighting against child labor laws though, people are rightly outraged about that.
  
  Does this child look even close to fucking 12 to you?? This ain’t a summer job either
  Stupid fucking moron, go whiteknight for corporate somewhere else.
  I had a summer job at 13yo and absolutely benefited, thus child labor = good and it’s totally not exploitative
  That’s your braindead take.
  
  This ain’t a summer job either
  It's not, it's a fundraiser.
- The kid in the picture looks under 13. We all thought he's not high school, lol.
  I'm not American but i saw a South Park episode poking fun of children working, as those older refuse to work under bad pay and toxic working condition as the result of pandemic. Is there any truth to this despite the satire?
- Wtf.
- 14 is when we could get work permits. I was a little league umpire, and I agree that it was a very positive experience.

328 comments