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[Leafsnail]

Hmm... well, here it's possible to take apprenticeships after you leave secondary education.  Not a hugely popular option at the moment, but it's on the increase.

Mandatory apprenticeships... would probably lead to a ridiculously inflexible workbase, and a kindof caste system.

[alway]

These 'wasted' childhoods, as you call them, are in fact not really wasted at all. For the most part that is the time when you develop as a person and figure out what it is you actually want to do when you get older. Most are still struggling with that even as they are searching for colleges, having not found what job they would enjoy doing for their entire adult lives. It's a time in which you are still figuring out what it is you like, what it is you are good at, and how that converges into some form of future income.

[inteuniso]

Childhood nowadays is more about developing social and physical skills over technical skills. Yes, you could use that time to train yourself in math, or programming. But why? It will generally lead to you being socially awkward in life and possibly less successful than someone who is more diplomatic and works easier with people.

[The Merchant Of Menace]

I have no problems with being socially awkward, and enjoy programming. Does this mean that I wasted my childhood? (as much of it as i was allowed anyway)

[Soadreqm]

Correlation does not imply causation. It could be that social awkwardness and liking mathematics are caused by the same thing, or that being socially awkward drives one to study rather than the other way around. And I feel like a huge nerd for noticing this.

[dwarfguy2]

@ Mr ø:

Successful troll is successful, it seems. Good on ya.

[Muz]

Not wasted. You learn a lot of things from playing, mainly how to socialize. Kids get burned out easily. Force them into apprenticeships, and they'd be mentally dead and give up on life in a few years.

Some of the greatest people I know IRL had wonderful childhoods too. Their parents gave them things like programming books and sent them to music lessons. They did have a childhood too and really enjoyed it. On the contrary, those who worked hard when young didn't grow up to be much different. There's a few exceptions, but not the norm.

I think the book Freakonomics covered the topic quite a bit too.

[ToonyMan]

I see your problem.

Your in that terrible area directly between Catatonicly chill Hippy and Manic Depressive Nihilist.

You're going to die, and everything will have been pointless because you are dead and unable to be proud of even the most amazing achievements.. You can play that video game. You can waste your life. You can do anything. I believe in you.

Holy shit.  This post was amazing.

[Hawkfrost]

To be honest, neither.
I'd rather play video games with some friends, kick around a soccer ball or slap around a puck, or read a good book by myself out in the backyard.

Of course, everyone has different interests and hobbies. Mine happen to be low cost things I can afford on a modest budget.
And I'm fine with that.

However, this isn't a universal case, hence my point still stands: It's possible to have more awesome in your life even in less time if you had more money. Although I should modify it: It's plausible for some people to have more things they consider worthwhile/awesome in their life even with less time if they had more money. Ha. Rebut that.

More money means more time working, so in truth your just trying to cram in more things in between the longer hours you spend working to get the money to cram in more things.

[Virex]

Nope, fliping burgers pays far less then flipping reaction tubes, so the chemist can have more time off and more money to spend in that time to boot.

[Hawkfrost]

Nope, fliping burgers pays far less then flipping reaction tubes, so the chemist can have more time off and more money to spend in that time to boot.

Good point, though I can assume the amount of people who are chemists is relatively small.

[FuzzyZergling]

But what if you enjoy flipping burgers more than actual time off?

[ToonyMan]

I love flipping burgers, I would rather flip burgers than actual time off.

[Shrugging Khan]

EARN MONEY FASTER MORE EARLIER YOU DISGUSTING LEECH TO SOCIETY WORK MORE MORE MORE LESS LIFE MORE WORK WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU USELESS BUM YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE DEAD IF YOU'RE NOT EARNING MONEY AND MORE MONEY

*cough*

[Virex]

Nope, fliping burgers pays far less then flipping reaction tubes, so the chemist can have more time off and more money to spend in that time to boot.

Good point, though I can assume the amount of people who are chemists is relatively small.

That's why we're so expensive