this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
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That makes sense.
I guess I should have made this clearer in the post but I guess my question was more what actual policy would a hypothetical current socialist government should have on this. Like where much of the economy is still market instead of socialist.
In early stages of development I could see underage labor being necessary, but I just don't think it has a place at higher stages of development beyond being purely educational. A well functioning socialist state doesn't need or want teens to clean the park because they already have a well paid team of adults dedicated to that job.
I even wonder about this because of the concepts of internships, practicum, co-op learning, placements, unpaid training etc. Which extend into adulthood. In some places/industries are de rigur the only way to get in.
I think people should get paid for learning how to do a job. As long as we need money to live.
Let me rephrase.
Hour-for-hour, underage labor simply isn't as productive as adult labor. Its uses are either logistical (there aren't enough adult laborers to do the work) or criminal (teens can be more easily exploited). In an advanced society there shouldn't be any need for teens to do any work, because there aren't labor shortages and bourgeois criminals go to prison instead of paying fines.
In such a society the only reason for teens to be doing work is if they were learning. They simply aren't needed for anything else. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be paid, but rather, that the purpose of hiring teens is to teach them. Their labor is surplus.