6 to 10-year-old students tell teacher they don't want to do anything when they grow up—they just want to make money: 'Lots of people get money without working.'

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A little girl, who wants to grow up to be rich without having to work hard at anything in particular.

A conversation with my students has stayed with me ever since. (A random story from when I was working at a summer center.)

We were playing that old paper fortune-teller game (the one where you pick numbers and it tells you your "future job"). I filled it with all kinds of careers: engineer, architect, doctor, teacher, and even more modern ones like YouTuber and gamer.
Every time a kid landed on a job, they'd immediately say, "No, I don't want that." So I'd ask, "Okay... then what do you want to be?"
Almost every single one of them gave me the same answer: "I just want money. I don't want to work."
I'd laugh at first and say, "I wish it worked like that too, but how are you going to make money without working?" Their response was always something like, "Lots of people get money without working."
The thing that shocked me wasn't just one kid saying it, it was nearly all of them. These were children between 6 and 10 years old.
I remember asking them another day, "What do you like to do in your free time?" Most of the answers revolved around phones: Roblox, YouTube, TikTok, games... and that was pretty much it.
Kids are scrolling on TikTok at the playground instead of actually playing on the swings and interacting with each other.
I've taught students from nursery all the way to middle school, so this isn't based on one experience. I've seen the shift over the years, and honestly, it scares me a little. It's not that kids wanting money is a bad thing-we all understand how important
money is. But hearing children who are barely in primary school say they don't want to do anything, they just want the money, made me realize how early that mindset is developing.
Maybe I'm overthinking it, but that conversation has stayed with me ever since.
-Pneumo Kids think they can all become content creators and vlog their life just hanging around with friends like they see online. They are basically born with a phone in their hands and these are the role models they see and they idolize them like sports stars. Its the same as a kid saying he isnt gonna get a job and just go play football for the NFL. Add this to declining literacy and the current job market, the parents of this gen are never going to get the house to themselves again.
Boys playing football, dreaming of becoming NFL stars
The best you can do is remind them that the odds are actively against them and really more importantly tell them when they grow up to SAVE MONEY. No matter what they do the advice of saving/investing money early in life to prep for emergencies/retirement will help them no matter what they do. Too many people go into crazy debt.
is-it-me-you-love OP I've been trying to read more about this and think about it more, so that I could explain it to them. Bc to be honest its quite scary to be thinking like this. Would make sense if it was young children but its scary if they grow up with a mindset like this.
Paramalia To be fair, the idea of being able to have money without working appeals to a decent number of people of all ages. This is why things like the lottery exist.
rock-paper-o I suspect this is largely why rock star or pro sports player have been historically popular. Of course those careers do involve work (as does maintaining a successful YouTube channel) but a lot of that work is invisible to students who just see a high prestige career doing something they think is cool or fun.
is-it-me-you-love OP It does but the fact that they are really clueless about how money is earned is kinda dangerous the only thing I hope is that they don't grow up with this mindset, and from what noticed social media plays a very big role in this where it mostly shows people complaining or gloating more than genuine and humble lifes
ImNotSelling Kids babies teens adults are becoming extremely passive in life. Al use growth will only enhance that. You want to passively watch videos and movies, read blurbs, have ai do your work and think for you, listen to others sing, adults are even addicted to watching others make love, it's all addictive too. It's almost like soma from the book a brave new world
penguin_0618 Some of them have no interests! I was trying to get them to draw a picture related to their favorite book. I had this interaction. Student: I don't have a favorite book. Me: Okay, what's your favorite movie? S: I don't have one. Me: what's your favorite tv show? S: I don't have one. Me: Figure it out. I'm not going to ask your favorite game. Roblox
lakemischief So I have had this experience as a high school advisor. I have seen social media of teachers as this being the main complaint. Children used to have genuine interests and DREAMS. They don't anymore. The machines k led dreams and imagination. Everything has been dreamed and handed to them. They see no point. It's nihilism setting in. Meaningless at life itself. No purpose. It's hard to see. Until society devalues this we will see it accelerate.

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