Written by: Tara Tulshyan
Visual by: CJ Limjap
Before the pandemic, the percentage of Filipino teenagers who worked part-time jobs alongside full time school, was relatively low. This is partly due to the fact that the minimum age for employment is eighteen years old, and although some are around 15 and above when they are employed, it is relatively rare. Back then, for these teenagers, working part-time with face-to-face school was difficult, and the financial responsibility was mostly taken upon by parents. Now, with the pandemic, everything has changed. Many adults have lost their jobs and therefore may be forced to find different means of gaining income. As such, one’s entire family has to help in order to keep the household afloat. For teenagers, they are more eager to help and take on the responsibility. More time at home means more time to do other things, including helping the family financially. Despite the challenges, the youth have found ways to aid and support their families using the power of social media to their advantage. They have gotten creative about ways to generate income, which has helped their parents who are still working common jobs.
For the teens who have a stable enough internet connection, many are on Tiktok or Facebook to find side hustles. Many are now investing in the stock market, or simply learning about it, and hoping to earn some money from such. Many are also on Shoppee or Instagram, selling clothes, crochet bags, or anything that has a demand. Teens have used social media to effectively market their products. They do so by posting on several platforms and utilizing networking. Some are also on apps that pay you to take surveys or answer questions. All these side jobs show ways in which students have managed to help their families in terms of raising funds despite the pandemic. But these still require Internet connection, a privilege that isn’t available to all. Those who cannot do online side-jobs, are forced to find physical work that may be more difficult and hazardous. These are where growing disparities lie. Those who are unfortunate enough not to have online access are left behind, and this is a source of increasing financial gap. While online side hustles are helpful to the family, they are not easy. Managing a business as a teen while still having to keep up with online school is no easy task. It is hard to maintain a balance between both, especially when it seems as if your side hustle is what will support your family in the near future, and education may start to seem secondary. Teens now may be more stressed than before and thus balance is necessary. While it may be difficult to fulfill both responsibilities, these side hustles have taught teens valuable real-life skills, but have taught us how burdensome the pandemic is to those who are still studying.
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