When shopping, many people opt to buy by seeing the prices instead of what they genuinely prefer. This means cheaper products are usually going to be sought out more than the ones that are more expensive. But what many people fail to realize is how some of these companies sustain such low prices and still manage to make a profit. The answer is child labor. Child labor means children are getting hired illegally to work somewhere, usually at an inhumane wage in comparison to regular workers. Usually, these children are employed not by just the company, but also by their parents. And though it can seem contradictory, child labor isn't classified as any work done by children and teenagers; it only applies when it affects their mental or physical health.
These children are forced to spend their lives working under terrible conditions, oftentimes unwillingly, just to be able to sustain themselves and their families. This doesn't occur out of thin air, though; the main causes of child labor are poverty and lack of schooling and education, and sadly, many famous companies take advantage of these circumstances. Although it can’t be fully confirmed, some corporations have reported of child labor in production centers, including Apple, H&M, Hershey's, Nestle, and unfortunately, many more.
Even though child labor is completely unethical, many still choose to ignore its existence. When shopping for clothes, people prioritize their personal preferences or fashion trends over the fact that they could be buying from companies that have been suspected of using child labor. Although this can be the case for a group of people, a significant part of consumers may simply not have the financial capability to afford the more expensive ethical products.
While international humanitarian organizations are working hard to change things, child labor is still one of the most pressing concerns of our time, and many businesses continue to support this practice to drive down production costs in order to make more profit. If we are serious about making a difference, we must be mindful of the items we purchase and the factories we support. A couple of companies that have been confirmed to not use child labor include Amazon and IKEA.
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