I was hungry yesterday, and everywhere I went the lines were long, so I decided to visit a "fast food" restaurant. While I was waiting for my order a 7 year old child was adding more ice to the soda fountain machine. The child had to use a chair to climb up, and he was having a very difficult time with the task. I assumed this was the owner's child helping out, but he was wearing a fanchise uniform. I couldn't help it, I was outraged, so I blurted out "They let you work here?!" I mean, I was thinking, what is this, Pakistan? The child looked at me, and was like, "What?" And suddenly I realized that it wasn't a young preadolescent male, it was a very short woman with a haircut that could only be termed 'boyish.' Secondary sexual characteristics were not in evidence, so I would not ...
I care about social justice!
Discover the shocking glimpse of child labor in fast food and the societal implications it raises. What can we do to stop it?
More on Discover
Stay Curious
SubscribeTo The Magazine
Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.
Subscribe