Teenagers' joining the work force has been a controversial subject for many years in the United States. Especially in middle class families, where young people aren't forced to work out of necessity, but do it out of want or desire. In the article "Teenagers and Work," Laurence Steinberg and Ellen Greenberger talk about whether or not teenagers should work and how much. These two authors gave us several cogent reasons why teenagers should not work, but they concentrated mostly on the negative aspects of teenagers who work. Therefore, although a bit chary, I'm inclined to disagree with them. Many of the points they presented are extremely valid. Such as teens working "long hours" and end up in "mostly dead-end jobs." It's no wonder teens "develop cynical attitudes towards work. I believe that work builds character and teaches responsibility, but they shouldn't work so much that it interferes with the school work and the learning process. Another point the authors brought up was that "major employers of teenagers constantly lobby Washington to relax restrictions on hours children are permitted to work. I am confident that a combination of laws and good parental supervision is crucial to the success of teenagers who work while attending school.
             If a student is working so many hours and still be expected to perform, how are they expected to succeed in school? The authors of this article explain that the "idea has its origins in images of diligent adolescent apprentices working side by side with caring adult mentors." I am confident that this is the type of environment, along with parental supervision, that allows teenagers to grow up to become useful members of the working society and in their academic life. I also believe that it is essential for them to have strong, moral support from their parents. Parents should scrutinize and supervise several areas
             ...