In today’s world there is no doubt that teenagers are pushed to the breaking point. With the stresses of school, family, sports, and friends, teens have to struggle just to balance their lives. If going to school and dealing with their day-to-day lives wasn’t enough, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly one in every four students also holds a job.

“I’ve worked at Wal-Mart for almost a year and a half,” said Nathan Massey, senior. “Tons of my friends have jobs too. Teens just need the money.”

Teens have various reasons to hold jobs outside of school. For some, working is a way to save money for college. Other students decide to get a job just for some extra spending cash. Today, proportionately more American teenagers are working while attending high school than at any other time in the past quarter century. Not only are more teens working, but they are also spending more time at the workplace.

“I used to work a lot, almost 25 hours a week,” said Katie Hundemer, senior. “It might not sound like a lot, but with school and my family and all my other commitments, it really was. I had to quit because I just couldn’t juggle it all anymore.”

Is working at a job while still in high school a good idea? Experts have conflicting views, but one theme tends to resound over and over - if teens are not well organized and know how to prioritize, having a job can be detrimental to their education and family life. Studies done by the University of Alabama show that substantial commitments of time and energy to a job may weaken a student’s emotional investment in school, taking a toll on academic achievement, school attendance and participation in extracurricular activities.

“Usually I go straight to work after school. Sometimes I don’t get home until almost 11,” said Marcela Navarro, senior. “I’m so tired when I get home I can’t finish my homework and I just go to bed. I wish teachers would be more understanding to students with jobs.”

Although working while in school is an area of concern for some, others see it as valuable experience that will help students once they graduate. Even at a typical “teenage job”, teens are insisting that they are learning life skills that will come in handy at any job they might have in the future. Jordon Nevins, junior, works at Target 15-20 hours a week and says that he learns things at his workplace that he could never learn in a classroom.

“My job has taught me how to deal with other people,” Nevins said. “Sometimes an angry customer will confront you and you just have to know how to handle situations like that. I’m glad I know how to do that now before I go to college.”