Have you ever asked your best friend if they want to hang out, only to be turned down because your friend had to go work? I know I have. Whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, that example isn’t happening as much. There is no way around it, there are fewer jobs available for teenagers today.

It used to be that if a teenager wanted a job, they went to the local family owned business, earned minimum wage, and spent the money they made on movies and such. This is no longer the case. Jobs are nearly impossible to find these days, so if someone finds themselves a job they need to hold onto it with everything they’ve got.

On top of that, students need to spend their money much differently than the kids of old. Gone are the days of care-free frittering away of money. Here to stay it seems are the practices of paying for insurance and similar necessities.

It’s probably just my distorted view of adolescence, but I was under the impression that we had this time to enjoy being carefree kids without the worries our parents had to deal with. Life is going to be hard enough without that life starting a couple years earlier than it used to.

It is my belief that it is our right as teenagers to enjoy ourselves and be irresponsible with our money. It helps make experiences for us when we are adults. The only lessons we are learning now are how much working stinks and how it’s really hard to enjoy the money we make. That shouldn’t be something you learn until you’re at least 20.

These hard financial times are doing the youth of this country no favor when it comes to finances. Too many of us are focused on trying desperately to find jobs or feverishly holding onto those jobs. Jobs that we don’t necessarily even like.