Posing-Problem Method

Teenagers are trying hard to get jobs, in many cases to pay their own expenses, be involved in fashion trends or manage their own money, while other teenagers are needed to work in order to help support their family. Whichever the case might be, it doesn't affect the fact that teenagers are exposing themselves to danger in fast food restaurant jobs, and by wanting to earn money, they're neglecting their duties in school and thus dropping out.

Jane Trogdon, head of the guidance department at Harrison High School in Colorado Springs, said; "I have lots and lots of kids who are terribly depressed, I've never seen so many, so young feel this way". This quote represents the problem above, by confirming that teenagers are feeling "depresed" which in this case would likely also mean; stressed, down, tired and without energy, due to having to balance work and study at the same time.

I can relate this problem with myself. I'm a teenager, 17 years old, and I work wednesdays and during the weekends, so it's sometimes hard for me to distribute my time. I need to make sure I keep up with my classes and assignments while working as well, which can be very stressful, due to the fact that when I get out of work all I want to do is rest for the day, but I remember that I need to finish my assignment, or when I stay up late doing my homework I go to work tired the next day. It's hard but it's a sacrifice I must do, but, this is a situation that many teenagers can't bear, therefor give up.

Some solutions that have been tried but failed, are the prohibition of kids under the age of sixteen for more than three hours on a school day or later than seven o'clock at night and the usage of hazardous machinery. These regulations have failed because, even thought they are state laws, teenagers have been found breaking these regulations, for example, managers let minors operate dangerous machinery with the pretext that the they know how to, and make them work overtime without payments.

A solution I suggest to this problem is, not to raise the legal age required to work since this problems have emerged from the manager's fault by not supervising their working requirements, but, to take serious legal actions against the restaurants on which situations like these have been happening, for example, closing the location permanetly.