A movement to weaken American child labor protections at the state level began in 2022. By June 2023, Arkansas, Iowa, New Jersey and New Hampshire had enacted this kind of legislation, and lawmakers in at least another eight states had introduced similar measures.

  • comedy@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Instead of paying adults actual decent wages, pay children less for the same work! What could go wrong?

  • holo_nexus@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    We shouldn’t be shocked when the education levels of these states (literacy, math, writing, etc) starts to decrease in the near future. It’s not like these politicians, companies, people care sadly, but with the less time teenagers are going to have for studies, extracurricular, and usual teenage things, we can definitely expect to see even further decrease in grades and proficiency levels.

    Grades are one thing, but the mental toll and stress a lot teenagers face due to not being have to have an effective school/work/life balance is insane. I have seen a further decrease on these students mental health since the pandemic started (especially now with inflation impact lower SES families) since alot of them have to work to provide for the family as well.

    • mohKohn@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      A less educated electorate is a more conservative one, so its very much in their political interest to de-incentivize education.

    • Machinist3359@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      Family values to these people is the right for a man to own a woman and for them both to own indentured servants. It makes exploitation sting less if you can be the “king of the castle” at home.

  • cultsuperstar@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    They want more people in the work force. I’ve been working since I was 16. They just want to squeeze as much labor out of us as they can. Lower the age to 12 and that’s 4 more years. Raise the retirement age couple of years, and put people in a position where they can’t really retire (hence getting rid of student loan debt forgiveness). Hell, a lot of people already can’t retire. We’re born, basically have about 4 years off, then it’s school, maybe college. Most people are already in the work force in some capacity by high school. And that’s basically it. Work til we die. That’s our life lol. Oh, except for the ultra rich. They don’t have to do shit.

    • Waryspice@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I wasn’t expecting New Hampshire either. Honestly surprised it’s not any of the deep south states.

      • Drusas@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Florida will probably be next, what with how they are deliberately driving migrants out of the state despite relying heavily on them.

      • bagelman@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        New Hampshire has always had a libertarian streak, so they sometimes push rightwards on economic issues.

  • xuxebiko@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Child labour is a crime against humanity. To get to the root of a crime, ask yourself ‘Cui bono?’ (who benefits?) and you’ll know who the criminals are.

  • iByteABit@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    The USA is going speedrun mode straight to the shitter, the people need to wake the fuck up and put worthy people in power, whatever it takes. If this conservative trend doesn’t end (worldwide not just in the US) then this will end very badly for us, our kids, and their kids too. Things are looking more and more like the early industrial era and less like what people were hoping the world would be like during the 2000s…