Are American teens lazy?

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
20,577
432
126
The majority of people I worked with in retail up here in Canada were non-white. I have no clue where all the white kids go for job experience - I assumed it was just better jobs than retail!
 

orion23

Platinum Member
Oct 1, 2003
2,035
0
71
It's not the teens that are at fault. It is all those stupid laws, rules, regulations, whatever you call them. It is hard to tell an employee what to do, or to do his/her job for that matter, without risking breaking some sort of work related protection BS, discrimination or equality B.S.

Foreigners most likely don't know anything about this, and simply do what everybody in the world gets paid for, WORK!

They don't pay people with food stamps, or collectible cards of some sort. They pay people with real money, and people should have to earn it the hard way.

And outsourcing is the result of this. Where I work, Less than half of the Payroll could do the same job as the current full staff, but with most people f%%%ing around or at home all the time nothing can ever get done in time. Yet people managed to make a very decent living, and some are even overpaid!

BTW, I'm an immigrant!
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: axelfox
Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
Eat my shorts, Bytch. If your cheapass parents would pay a decent wage the American kids would do the work. The same goes for the socalled "landscapers" you cite.

I worked my butt off when I was a kid, but I was paid and treated fairly.


Why pay Americans more when they can get a better attitude from someone else, and cheaper?

Yay for outsourcing, eh comrade?

eh? This is the opposite of communism

Perhaps I shouldn't use comrade as a generic nickname, eh tiger?
 

spazo

Senior member
Apr 5, 2004
344
0
0
Even though I'm only 18 myself, I would have to agree with the OP. American teens are some of the laziest SOBs ever. 99% of American teens have no idea what real "work" is and I wonder of their future. Actually, scratch that, I don't care for their futures because I know they won't have one and they don't deserve one.

As for other people who complain about their work hours, they have no idea how little they're actually doing. Even if you work 70hours/week, thats nothing. In those 70 hours, you probably don't sweat very much, have 1 hour lunch breaks, have a/c, sit around, etc. Put yourself in the place of a farmer living in the developing world and then you will truly know what it means to work. They get no pay, work in the worst conditions possible, and very seldeom do they complain about it. I have much respsect for those types of people. The people who do what needs to be done.

And yes, I'm a hpycocritr. I'm one of those lazy SOBs but I actually try to do well in school. All my parents ever worked for was so that they could send me to college. They came to America in their early 20s and have worked almost nonstop since then. There was a period of about 10years in which neither had one day off. And by no day off, I mean that they worked 7 days a week(at least 10 hour days), 52 weeks/year, for 10 years. I'm their only son and they did this so I could go to school. My parents have been so worn down by all the work, their bodies ache even if they're not doing anything. I really don't want to let them down. And thats my excuse for not "working" although I do occupy a 30hour/week job as a server.


 

Atomicus

Banned
May 20, 2004
5,192
0
0
This attitude is the main reason why companies in the US outsource. Tech support, medical evaluations, accounting..... clothing manufacturing. :|
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: kranky
I have a friend who owns a landscaping business. He won't hire illegals but he's had it with the lazy teenagers even though he paid $11/hour. For the last 3-4 years he's struggled with people not showing up, quitting after a week, etc. So he closed his business and started a company that makes pallets. His former competitors have no objection to hiring illegals and paying them $5/hour under the table.

I couldn't believe he had trouble keeping people paying that kind of money.

And from my own experience, most of our new employees are right out of school (2-year degrees) and make about $13/hour plus great benefits in an office job. I've had people not show up (and not call in) and their opinion was that since they didn't get paid when they didn't work, what was the problem? Trying to get them to understand that we were counting on them to show up on time every day didn't always work, and I had to let some of them go. The most reliable employees I've had were kids who grew up poor and women who are returning to work after their kids get into middle school. The majority, I'm sorry to say, are lazy, steal, and have to be watched.

The irony is that about half of the ones I've let go have called me a year or two later asking for another chance, when they find out jobs like these aren't that easy to find.

In general, I'm in agreement with the OP.

My parents owned a 7-Eleven for 25 years, and they had serious problems with teenagers who'd previously worked in larger retail establishments. When you're part of a crew of 20 people, nobody will miss you if you just don't show up. When you're part of a crew of 2, it's a bit more difficult to manage without you. They just didn't understand that going out with friends was not a valid excuse for skipping work.
 

venk

Banned
Dec 10, 2000
7,449
1
0
American Teen = $6 / Hr
Mexican Migrant Worker $1/ Hr

Yep. It's american laziness that is driving all those jobs to the illegal immigrants. pure and simple. :roll:
 

Auryg

Platinum Member
Dec 28, 2003
2,377
0
71
Ya know, there was a south park episode on this..cept the people came from the future.

It was actually very insightful and had good points. The people from the future were willing to work for cents because they'd invest it so in the future their families would get the money on interest.

Anyhoo, it started out as taking kid's jobs, but eventually it got to the adults.
 

imported_Snagle

Golden Member
Sep 28, 2004
1,805
0
76
Originally posted by: spazo
Even though I'm only 18 myself, I would have to agree with the OP. American teens are some of the laziest SOBs ever. 99% of American teens have no idea what real "work" is and I wonder of their future. Actually, scratch that, I don't care for their futures because I know they won't have one and they don't deserve one.

As for other people who complain about their work hours, they have no idea how little they're actually doing. Even if you work 70hours/week, thats nothing. In those 70 hours, you probably don't sweat very much, have 1 hour lunch breaks, have a/c, sit around, etc. Put yourself in the place of a farmer living in the developing world and then you will truly know what it means to work. They get no pay, work in the worst conditions possible, and very seldeom do they complain about it. I have much respsect for those types of people. The people who do what needs to be done.

And yes, I'm a hpycocritr. I'm one of those lazy SOBs but I actually try to do well in school. All my parents ever worked for was so that they could send me to college. They came to America in their early 20s and have worked almost nonstop since then. There was a period of about 10years in which neither had one day off. And by no day off, I mean that they worked 7 days a week(at least 10 hour days), 52 weeks/year, for 10 years. I'm their only son and they did this so I could go to school. My parents have been so worn down by all the work, their bodies ache even if they're not doing anything. I really don't want to let them down. And thats my excuse for not "working" although I do occupy a 30hour/week job as a server.

That's insane

If I were you I would make it my #1 goal to get awesome grades in college, get a good job, and support your parents until they die.
 

shimsham

Lifer
May 9, 2002
10,765
0
0
uhh....theyre teenagers. not adults. another factor is the median income where you live. if its a rich area, i doubt too many teens actually need the money, and thus dont really give a sh!t.

ive been lucky with most of the ones ive hired. the ones that dont work or care, just fire them.
 

MithShrike

Diamond Member
May 5, 2002
3,440
1
0
Originally posted by: dr150
That's why American jobs are being outsourced.

People have reached the conclusion that you can pay less and hire a smarter, more motivated worker overseas. A win-win situation.

Yeah... when I worked for SBC Home Networking Second Tier and the Tier One agents from Manila would transfer up to me oh!!! I frickin' hated those techs. They had no computer training whatsoever they just dragged the caller through their call flow and then tried random crap just to see if it would work. Definitely not smarter. Maybe more motivated but not smarter.
 

NiKeFiDO

Diamond Member
May 21, 2004
3,901
1
76
anyone whos taken a decent econ course knows min wage actually can harm the teenagers and youngin's it's meant for. one reason for lazy teenagers. Another reason is, lots of lazy ass american teens.

I am not one of the lazy ones :)
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: Auryg
Ya know, there was a south park episode on this..cept the people came from the future.

It was actually very insightful and had good points. The people from the future were willing to work for cents because they'd invest it so in the future their families would get the money on interest.

Anyhoo, it started out as taking kid's jobs, but eventually it got to the adults.

They took yer jerbs!

 

Twista

Diamond Member
Jun 19, 2003
9,646
1
0
:( :eek: I am, but im busting my butt trying to learn on a damn manual car... and ppl in the UK say us Americans are lazy and like our automatics!
 

FeuerFrei

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2005
9,144
929
126
Foreigners come over in a group, share the same vehicle and housing, and send most of their money home to family where it goes a lot further than here in the U.S.

I can't comment on the work ethic of foreigners, but I'm sure they have lower standards as employees and save their employers money.