As a member of a generation that seems to be getting lazier and more spoiled by the minute, I feel like I should say something about the state of too many children in our generation. Too many kids these days don’t appreciate anything. Many take their house, car, phone, food, internet, etc. for granted. For a lot of people; it’s all provided for them. Nobody knows how to do anything for themselves. Everything is either given to them or done for them. Nobody understands what hard work is, and what the value of a dollar is.

At one point, I was this ignorant. And sure, I still probably am pretty ignorant. The issue is, most people don’t realize how good their life is at the moment, and they’re too busy complaining on Twitter that their mom got them an iPhone 5c instead of the new 6 and that their ‘life is now ruined.’ People are too worried about what people think about them instead of what they can do for the world, or what they can do to make their own lives better. Instead of spending a half hour trying to find a “perfect” Instagram filter and caption, why don’t you do something useful? I understand the importance of free time and why it’s good to relax at times, but some kids know nothing about the world around them. To one thing I say: Get a job.

Actually working to do something somewhat productive teaches kids how the real world works. It teaches you the value of the dollar, and it teaches you how to interact with customers as well as your co-workers. Instead of using all your time to study or watch Netflix, get some real world experience in a job. Getting a high GPA or standardized test score means absolutely nothing if you don’t know how to work.

Some may say “But school is work,” which might as well be a lie. Sure, some classes are more challenging than others, but once it comes down to it, it’s not that hard. You don’t need all your time for just school. Learning how to get through your life by experience is more applicable when compared to learning how to sequence DNA by reading a book.

In an age where people are more used to hiring someone to do something like changing their oil, cleaning their house, or making dinner, we need to learn to be more independent. We won’t always have someone who we can give money to provide us with services. Heck, if you don’t have a job you won’t have money to even give to that person. Getting a job won’t automatically make you a less lazy person, but it’ll at least bring you closer.