Mcjobs Are Bad For Kids Summary

The skills learned while working at a fast food restaurant are not always from what you are directly taught on the job. In the article “The Fast-Food Factories: McJobs are Bad for Kids,” the author, Amitai Etzioni, explains how fast food jobs hinder learning and the participation of students in school. Etzioni claims that while a fast food job provides income, it does not provide knowledge or skills that would be learn from other jobs such as carpenting, as well as stating that jobs like these dampen creativity. While I agree with some of the author's statements, such as students having a hard time balancing work and school, the author also makes claims that are not correct.

Etzioni’s two main arguments are that “these jobs undermine school

attendance and involvement, impart few skills that will be used later in life” and that creativity cannot be expressed when working at a fast food restaurant. Etzioni explained that since students will be spending all of their time working at strict regulated establishments they will be unable to attend school and do school work. He also states that because of the strict regulations that students will be unable to be creative. He uses statistics and his sons work experience to back up his claims which include a story of his son’s coworkers taking “severance pay.” Etzioni also tries to provide alternatives and fixes to students working.
The support Etzioni used had some strong points, such as when he states how workers will not learn from working at a fast food restaurant and that they should aim to work where they will be taught useful skills.

The problem with the useful skills he is speaking about is that they usually require some kind of background, but he does not think of the useful skill learned from a fast food restaurant such as communication, problem solving, and management. Other points Etzioni had such as undermining school attendance, not being able to be creative, and “blind obedience” with the boss. As for students skipping school to attend work, that has to do with the discipline of the student, if they are going to skip they are most likely going to skip school and work. Or they will skip school and wait till school ends to attend work. Also most places that employ students know what time school is released and have the scheduled to work after that. As for creativity, work in a fast food restaurant is not the correct place to express it. Etzioni even contradicts himself with his story about the “severance pay” that workers would take and the “blind obedience” with the boss. Most workers don't usually even agree with what bosses say, workers tend to group together and help each

other.
Working in the fast food industry for a first job is not a useless experience. Workers will learn communication, how to problem solve, and manage. He is correct when stating that a fast food job is not as helpful as learning a job such as to program, but to get a job of programming you need proper background which may be hard to get while still attending high school. Working is like be part of a sport, you learn to manage time after for homework and even though you are not directly taught a skill for the future you can adapt what you have learned. Working does not harm the dedicated students and provides experience in the workplace.
Etzioni states that a first job in fast food will not teach kids how real jobs are and will actually hinder them in school. A first job is important, working in fast food provides experience with communication, problem solving and management. It allows for people to work without needing past experience and does not require students to leave school. For some students it may impact after school activities or homework, but that is only if students let it. Fast food jobs are real jobs and for first time workers they are important.