Gen X parents on blast after calling their teenaged son ‘entitled’ when he grumbles about earning $11.50/hour: 'That was my starting wage in 1984'

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
May 19, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Do you remember your first job? You probably washed dishes at a restaurant, stocked shelves in the mall, or scooped ice cream from your local sweets shop. It wasn't glamorous, but every two weeks, your paycheck would come, which (as a teenager) meant that you were rolling in riches! Even if the bottom line on your paystub was only a couple hundred bucks, you felt like a king. 

Nowadays, a couple hundred bucks doesn't go very far does it? 

The family in our next story fell victim to a classic misunderstanding at the hands of inflation. While many of us still think that the 80s was 20 years ago, it really was a full 4 decades in the past, making the current minimum wage (which hasn't changed much since the windbreaker days) all the more abysmal. With tempers flaring and a generational feud in the works, one teenager working at his first minimum wage job watched his minimum patience wear thin. 

Scroll down for the full story of a teenager's lament over $11.50 an hour. Afterwards, here's another work tale about a tech support guy who finally snapped. 

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  • 01
    Parents said I'm "entitled" for complaining about pay This is random but I sorta felt the need to vent. For context, I'm 18 years old but still live with my parents and probably will for
    via dylaninthebooks
  • 02
    another year or two. For months now, I've been searching for a job and finally got an interview with Ross where they said once I finish the background check, I can get hired. I accepted and told
    via dylaninthebooks
  • 03
    my parents that the pay was $11.50 an hour. I said that the pay was but I accepted since I hadn't been able to work anywhere else. My mom got annoyed and said "you keep thinking you're entitled to more pay, $11.50 is good". I was like
    via dylaninthebooks
  • 04
    "why is it entitled to want to be paid my worth for the work I do?" I've tried to point out that when I move out at some point, the wages at entry level jobs don't
    via dylaninthebooks
  • 05
    pay enough for me to support myself but they just say "well you'll get a better job then, retail isn't going to pay more than that, and you're not entitled to more." It's very frustrating.
    via dylaninthebooks
  • 06
    Harmania 3h ago "Yes, I am in fact entitled to fair compensation for my labor."
    via Harmania
  • 07
    TripResponsibly1 • 3h ago 11.50 was a good starting wage 20 years ago
    via TripResponsibly1
  • 08
    altM1st 4h ago You're frustrated because basically they're saying "know your place in society, little And i think the whole "entitled", "deserve", "earn" narrative should just go and itself.
    via altM1st
  • 09
    R-Dragon_Thunder... • 3h ago Ask your parents what year they bought their first home and what their wage was. Or about their college tuition and years they were enrolled. Then use the CPI inflation calculator to give them a reality check
    via R-Dragon_Thunder.
  • 10
    not a robot kkurani09 3h ago Chances are your parents aren't that smart and can only say these things because their position in life and and time period they grew up in. They would never make it by todays standards.
    via kkurani09
  • 11
    Woffingshire • 3h ago The problem here is that you're fighting back against being called entitled. You're taking it as an insult. You ARE entitled to get what your work is worth. Everyone in employment is entitled to earn enough money to live on.
    via Woffingshire
  • 12
    You're not going to find it in retail though. If you want to actually be paid your worth retail will never give you what you're looking for.
    via Woffingshire
  • 13
    TheRichTookItAll ⚫ 3h ago They don't value you as much as they value corporate news anchor opinions.
    via TheRichTookItAll
  • 14
    sandman795 . 3h ago I find it a lot easier for people to understand if you just refer to the pay in annual at 40 hours a week. $11.50 comes out to just over 25k a year IF you work full time, before taxes. People don't instinctively realize how low wages are when given to them by the hour.
    via sandman795
  • 15
    cmQ vicious_meat • 2h ago To all the young workers on here, please keep this up. Times have changed and you've all been dealt a raw hand. Your parents (I include myself, I have two children) had it way easier. I was able to afford a house on a pretty low salary 20 years ago. Today, that is impossible.
    via vicious_meat
  • 16
    The wealthy and politicians are slowly taking everything away from us, but even moreso from you. A lot of older folks don't get it or see it because they are like the proverbial frog in boiling water.
    via vicious_meat
  • 17
    So keep being vocal, and keep doing the bare minimum at work. No one should be expected to work beyond their pay for some out of touch dude who owns six yachts and wants a seventh.
    via vicious_meat
  • 18
    ColumbusMark • 3h ago Sometimes with older people, they just innocently, naively believe that it is a lot of money...simply because they can still remember a time when it was.
    via ColumbusMark
  • 19
    The older people get, their "sense of prices" gets more and more outdated. My dad passed away a few years ago when he was 85, but he couldn't closely guess the price of anything after about 1980.
    via ColumbusMark
  • 20
    Meddling Dragon • 3h ago 11.50 is low even for retail. But it's a discount store so probably why. Work there for a bit so you can list it on your resume. Apply to other places once you get some experience.
    via Meddling Dragon
  • 21
    capn_doofwaffle • 3h ago I'm sorry you're getting this kind of response. I'm 45 and my children have been in the workforce for a few years now. These companies take major advantage of the fact these are starter jobs, not
    via capn_doofwaffle
  • 22
    taking into account the cost of living. When I was growing up, pay was 4.25 an hour. That was in the mid 90's. That rate should be AT LEAST 15/hr or more right now. My kids cant even survive on a full time job to pay their menial bills.
    via capn_doofwaffle
  • 23
    WeAreTheLeft • 3h ago SocDem Tell your mother I was making $10.50/hr at Starbucks as a entry barista in 2000, I could have had $11.50/hr if I took a shift lead position but I don't want to be schedule limited. That 10.50 is $18.20 in todays money. So yea, it's I pay.
    via WeAreTheLeft
  • 24
    EclipseNine 3h ago You should start constantly talking about your plans for the next few decades living at home, and keep a positive, helpful spin on it.
    via EclipseNine
  • 25
    Stuff like "oh, the water heater has about 8 years left? Okay, I'll start setting money aside now so I can help pay for it." Or "If we finished the basement there will be a lot more space for my wife and kids"
    via EclipseNine
  • 26
    If they push back at all, remind them you'll be living at home forever because, as they've so kindly pointed out, you don't deserve better than the pittance that will keep you dependent on them forever.
    via EclipseNine
  • 27
    NeilPork 50m ago • That was my starting pay as an low level employee with a utility company in 1984. Wages have in no way kept up with inflation, particularly at the low end.
    via NeilPork
  • 28
    AreaNearby6607 • 3h ago They're calling you entitled when you ARE entitled to a living wage. Ask them to hunt for a house online. Put in all of the same data as your current home. Tell them to look at the job market for your current skill set. Then listen to other posters opinions and experiences for collective data.
    via AreaNearby6607

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