America's youth spends countless hours playing video games and watching television. While American children spend time playing the Wii and discovering new levels on various play station II games, children in China are being forced to manufacture the very games that western children cannot get enough off. In an article published in the New York Times entitled, "China investigates forced Child labor" reports have uncovered information regarding numerous companies that have kidnapped children and have forced them to work.
In the United States where people complain about trying to afford simple necessities on a minimum wage salary, ranging from $5 to $8 per hour throughout the country, minimum wage in China is about 64 cents. Of course it is important to look at each countries economical standing but still it makes you think about complaining the next time you get your paycheck. According to a professor, Professor Hu, “Most of the work force comes from underdeveloped or poverty-stricken areas,” he said. “Some children are even sold by their parents, who often don’t have any idea of the working conditions.” The children that were being forced to work were under the legal age of labor which is 16 in China. The article continues to explain how this is not the first time that children have been forced to work receiving pay, of 42 cents, that is under the minimum wage. The author of the article also includes the embarrassment that the country feels knowing that they soon will be hosting the Olympic games and children are being exploited for their labor. So the next time you think about complaining because you have to put sweat a little bit more than you wanted to on your job, think about the children in China that are not given a choice to work.