Driving into Adulthood

by Isabella Ligor, Staff Reporter

Courtsey of SHUTTERSTOCK

Teenagers should want to be surrounded by new friends, interacting with people of all ages and backgrounds. Not to mention learning to show up on time, completing tasks, and keeping a schedule. However, teens choose to be unemployed.

Back in the day, being unemployed or choosing to be unemployed wasn’t even an option or decision because teens actually wanted to have their own money to do things on their own.

“I got my first real job when I was 16,” English and Journalism teacher Matt Corcoran said. “I was pretty independent for a high school student, so having my own money was always a priority.”

Jobs that once went to teenagers, mostly retail and restaurant jobs, are now increasingly going to underemployed adults. Teenagers are slowly losing touch with the outside world and losing hobbies that will make them grow up quicker.

Teens are also getting very lazy with wanting a drivers license.

“The percentage of teens with a driver's license has decreased in the last few decades and is delaying purchasing their first car,” Analyst generational experts and car industry executives said. A quarter of 16 year olds got their driver’s license in 2017, which is a sharp decline from nearly half the amount of teens in 1983 according to an analysis of licensing data by Transportation researcher Micheal Sivak.

Getting a driver’s license and being capable to go wherever and whenever is a way of freedom. Some teens seem to be anxious about getting their licenses because they don't want to fail and then ultimately feel like they can never pass, thus delaying when they get one.This has been happening more frequently with this current generation now that Uber and Lyft are around to haul these lazy teens places.

Being lazy isn't the quality we aspire to have and being stuck at home isn't a good mix either. Perhaps teens today should take a cue from teens of the past: get a job, get a license, grow up.