The economy is seriously messed up right now, and it’s not just something adults complain about on the news. Even as teens, we can see it. Our parents are stressed about money. People work all day and still can’t afford groceries, rent, or gas. They say, “Just work hard,” but so many people already are, and it’s still not enough. That’s how you know something in the system is broken.

What makes it worse is watching billionaires and huge companies get richer and richer while normal people are told to just “budget better.” It’s hard to take advice like that seriously when some people make more in one day than others will see in their entire lives. The problem isn’t that people are lazy — it’s that the system rewards the top and ignores the rest.

Debt is another massive problem. If you want to go to college, you’re expected to take out loans that can follow you for decades. If your family has a medical emergency, it can ruin your finances. One bad accident or job loss can destroy everything. Money isn’t a tool anymore — it’s a trap for a lot of people.

Small businesses don’t get it easy either. Big corporations can lower prices so much that local stores can’t compete. When those small stores shut down, people lose jobs, and communities lose personality. Every town starts to look the same, with the same boring chains everywhere.

A normal, fair economy should let people live, not just survive. It should reward effort and give everyone a real chance. Until big changes happen, teens like us are growing up in a world where working hard doesn’t even guarantee a decent life — and that’s honestly scary.