The Morality of Child Labor

All too often, children are used as the labor force in poor countries. Some of them may not even be able to obtain an education because their parents need manual laborers for their family business or farming. This practice is known as child labor and has been around since the 1800s but it is still prevalent today. There are many ethical questions on whether or not child labor should be allowed in this day and age that are difficult to answer, so they were put up online on forums such as Yahoo Answers and Quora.

Most people are against it and say that children should not be used as laborers because they are too young. They usually end up doing jobs that adults could do. For example, in the Philippines, child labor becomes a necessity for many families when their parents die or abandon them. The minors, most of which are under the age of 15, end up doing things such as http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/24/world/asia/in-southeast-asia-a-childs-lot-is-dirt-and-sweat.html?_r=0 

They also say that children should not be used to do dangerous tasks because they are too small and may injure themselves and others. However, this is not true. The article, claims "Injuries on the job have been shown to have decreased in industrialized countries due to better safety procedures, but there is no reason for believing that it would be any less dangerous for children..."which means that as long as a child does not hurt himself or other people with their work then it should not be banned and many give positive reviews about child labor around the world.

One problem with child labor is the lack of education an individual could get from a job. For example, in the Philippines, a number of children are forced into prostitution to please their families. As a result, these minors are deprived of an education and an opportunity for a better life. According to  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/12/child-prostitution-philippines-poverty-youths_n_1423649.html

"In this country [the Philippines] prostitution is rampant among those who have abandoned school, failed to find work or have been exploited by the church. The crisis has prompted the government to push an anti-trafficking bill that would provide rehabilitation and education services to victims...". This shows how a lack of a steady income or resources can force children into prostitution.

Other people say that children should not be used as laborers at all simply because they should play and have fun instead of working. A commenter on Yahoo Answers said, "If kids have time to play they don't need to work". This is true because kids must have time to enjoy their childhood, not work in the mud or sew clothes for hours. The United Nations has tried to help eliminate child labor around the world so that kids can be educated instead.

Many are against child labor but there are some who say the practice is good. For example, a commenter on Quora said "I am totally against child labor in sweatshops, but I will support children doing manual work for their families". They also say that it is understandable why parents would want their children to help in the family business. To them, it is wrong to ban child labor completely because these minors had no choice and if we do stop it, then the family will receive no income at all.

However others don't agree with this idea. A Yahoo Answers user says "The problem isn't the kids working, it's what they're being forced to work at. There is no excuse in the world for a 9-year-old to be working on a factory assembly line." This shows that people do not understand why kids would need to work as laborers. They are deprived of their childhood and the fun things that come with it.

Many say it is impossible for children to choose what kind of labor they want to engage in and most likely, they have no clue about the labor's negative consequences such as harming other people or making them poor. These minors are still developing so it is important for them to play around and learn things from school before doing manual labor which may harm them later in life.

Some say that children should work because it gives them valuable life experiences. A commenter on Quora said he/she was in an orphanage and was forced to work and had chores there. He/she says "  In fact, I have grown quite fond of working in the kitchen as it teaches me some valuable lessons". In the Philippines, many children are lucky enough to get a job at the local mall. This gives them many more opportunities to learn more about the world around them.

Others do not agree with this idea but still say that child labor is better than having no job at all. A Yahoo Answers user said "Banning child labor would be like banning breathing--it's simply not possible. The problem isn't the labor, it's the situation, education, and belief of those in power at any given moment."

Child labor has been around for a long time and still continues to this day. Many people are against it and want to eliminate it from all parts of the world but others say the practice is better than no job at all. It is difficult to answer if child labor should or should not be allowed so it was put up on forums such as Yahoo Answers, Quora and much more.

The practice of child labor has been around since the beginning of time and it still continues to this day. Many people want the practice to end all over the world but others say that it is still good. It is difficult to answer if or should child labor be banned completely. So many people have put up many different opinions on what should or shouldn't be done with child labor from taking it away from certain countries and giving children more opportunities in life, banning it completely, making laws about what types of jobs teenagers can and cannot do and much more.

http://www.nytimes.

Conclusion, Should Child Labor Be Banned? Debate. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr 2017

http://starshineandabraininwv.blogspot.com/2011/05/child-labor-in-globalization-and-development_24

https://www.quora.com/Is-it-believable-that-overwhelmingly-most-childrens

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/12/child-prostitution-philippines_n_1423649.