A Boring Dystopia

It's the slippery slope that's the problem. It starts with washing dishes. Then they help a bit in the warehouse. After that just delivering stuff in production. And helping a little bit when someone needs a bathroom break in production. And helping a bit more.

Kids don't want more, they are taught to desire things. All kids want really is the freedom and time to have fun, learn about the world, and maybe catch a toad or two if they're more the outside, exploratory type. So perhaps this wasn't at "gunpoint". The question then is "why are they working at some factory?" Who convinced them? Why are they there?

What you are attempting to speak on is called "responsibility". This is fine. However, no child should ever be coerced, tricked, guilted, or otherwise forced in any fashion to work in a society that has enough. Do the dishes at home? Sure. Mow the lawn? Okay. Vacuum the house? That's alright. Never as a stand-in at any institution when there are capable, older individuals to do that work, if that institution meets their needs, which the overwhelmingly vast majority of the time when you hear about these situations: They 100% do not.

Besides, since you're clearly one of those bootstraps folk: Don't you believe it is the responsibility of the older generations to responsibly teach and support future generations by making the world better than it was for us growing up?

Or did you buy that gaming rig and decide you're better than that?

Just saying.

My family is well into the top 5% globally

Is this supposed to be some kind of flex? If you make ~$20k/y in the US you're almost top 5% income globally. Around top 5% range globally is probably somewhat poor in the US. The lowest middle class household income in the US is $40k/y

My family is well into the top 5% globally

Makes sense that you don't understand the difference between have to work and be able to work and why we need to protect children who have to work.

Article is not about teenagers.

Working an ice cream stand, being a camp counselor, or a life guard as a 14 year old is one thing. And working at your family restaurant or shop helping dad fill orders or take phone calls is one thing. Working a day job at a factory as an 11 year old is ridiculous. The factory has a labor shortage because theu wont pay living wages. I 100% guarantee that the people who support putting literal children to work are also rabidly against immigration.

Nowhere in the article it mentions it being a summer job.

It's an actual job, fulfilled by literal children (ages 11 and up, also stated in the article). There is nothing wrong with summer jobs, but there sure is something wrong with child labour.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-08/country-kids-solve-labour-shortage-jugiong-jam-factory/102181710

you should. something malfunctioning up there.

there are numerous ways a child can learn responsibility. doing it so others can profit is not that way.