June 2018

TEEN’S VIEW
by Tamar Lilienthal
Teens
Summer
take on
For adults, summer plans are usually clear-cut: they might
work, take a vacation, or stay home and watch the
kids. But for teens, summer presents an endless amount
of possibilities. Should a student get a job or use the time
off from school to relax? If they choose to get a job, where
should they work? Is it better to get an internship, or should
a student focus on making some cash? These are just some
of the questions teenagers face as
they try to plan a summer that is
meaningful and enjoyable.
A 2016 study from the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
shows that over time,
less and less teens are
finding summer work
(from 1978 to 2016
alone, there was an
almost 30 percent
decline in students
with summer jobs).
Interestingly enough,
students are choosing
to spend their summer
learning. Some teens
choose to take courses at a
local college, while others find
study programs outside of their
hometowns.
Ezra O., a high school senior from Maryland, will
be attending a program this summer where he
will study Jewish and Western philosophies. “[The
program] was available to me and it looked really
cool,” Ezra said. He credits his parents for helping
him make these plans.
Gidon A., a senior who lives in California, will
be attending the same program. To him,
it will be a chance to explore something
new. “The summer is a great
opportunity to pursue something
that academically or intellectually
interests you, which is oftentimes not
an option during the school year,” he
said. But he argues that this doesn’t
necessarily mean taking a structured
course. “[You can] even just determine
a plan for personal study with some
books, online courses, or a tutor,” he said.
Although it seems more teens are studying instead
of working, those who have found summer jobs are
still passionate about why their work is important
to them. For example, Elisheva G., a high school
senior from Hollywood, Florida, thinks her summer
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JUNE 2018