Ageism goes both ways. Senior citizens have a hard time getting hired for jobs they are fully qualified for. I'm a capable and responsible 15 year old boy who can't be hired because of child labor laws. My siblings have had similar experiences, and have wasted valuable years waiting for the magic number 18 to come up as "evidence" of qualification. 

I know even more people who are capable and responsible but can not get jobs because they are deemed not old enough to be responsible or capable.

I have dreams of making a difference in the world through my efforts. I want to earn money to go on a mission trip, and am more than capable of earning it, doing yard work or restaurant work, or answering phones. Yet I am stuck begging for other people's money instead of earning it myself. I would rather enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from supporting my own endeavors as a productive member of society. 

In the past, part time jobs have been done by people much younger than myself. School crossing guard positions, paper routes, pumping gas, grocery bag boy spots and other jobs were ways teens (and even younger kids) could earn money, part time. Now, those things are done by computers or older people who are experienced and capable of more. 

I want things to change; please judge people on their capabilities, not their age. Give us a chance to be productive, and fewer of us will waste our potential on video games and entertainment, developing self-destructive habits and resorting to crime. What we need is purpose!