this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2026
19 points (100.0% liked)
askchapo
23218 readers
240 users here now
Ask Hexbear is the place to ask and answer ~~thought-provoking~~ questions.
Rules:
-
Posts must ask a question.
-
If the question asked is serious, answer seriously.
-
Questions where you want to learn more about socialism are allowed, but questions in bad faith are not.
-
Try !feedback@hexbear.net if you're having questions about regarding moderation, site policy, the site itself, development, volunteering or the mod team.
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
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.