The View | How employers have turned the virtue of youthful sacrifice into a vice
Even more evil than volunteer work is unpaid internships – who else but the offspring of the rich can afford them?
One rather sweet, virtuous subplot to the Olympics is the crucial role of volunteers. Volunteering gives members of the public a chance to express their civic pride, and to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
The cost of hosting a major sports event would be unbearable were it not for those who freely give their time to seat guests, transport athletes and perform other services
But when the Games are over we have to return to this principle: volunteers are increasingly seen not as virtuous, but as mercenary. Just this weekend, for example, a prominent New York Times columnist blasted rich American kids for participating in exotic forms of volunteerism to boost their profiles on university applications. I am willing to bet big bucks – well, at least US$100 – that in two or three years a summer job at McDonald’s will be a bigger asset on university applications than service at a Central American orphanage.
And even more evil than volunteer work? Unpaid internships. Who else but the offspring of the rich can afford them?
It was not always thus. Working in exchange for experience was once a commendable way for a young person to get ahead. An internship or apprenticeship imparts a certain humility, takes grit and delays gratification. Considering that today’s young are often described as grabby, spoiled and entitled, a good spell or two of slave labour would, theoretically, do them good.
By exploiting the willingness and ability of some to work for free, employers have turned the virtue of youthful sacrifice into a vice
In practise, however, the ability to afford an unpaid internship is now viewed as a privilege that cements class structures in an era of declining social mobility.
