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Teen opens his first paycheck from McDonald's and his reaction is so relatable

There's nothing like the pride of that first paycheck.

u/ExactlySorta/Reddit

A teen was elated getting his first paycheck from McDonald's.

There are certain moments and milestones in life that hit harder than others. There are the biggies, of course—graduations, weddings, births, etc.—but there are also the smaller-but-still-significant ones that mark a major shift in life, when you officially cross a threshold into a whole new stage in your life's journey.

A mom captured one of those moments on video as her teen son opened his first paycheck from his job at McDonald's.

The video shared on Reddit shows a teen in a McDonald's hat sitting in the passenger seat of a car opening an envelope that contained his paycheck. His mom said it should be "200-and something" dollars, and after a hilariously long struggle to open the envelope (these Gen Zers have never snail mailed, no judgment), he looks over the check stub to get the full picture.

"That's $283," he says in astonishment. To his credit, he asks "After tax, what's that?" not realizing that the amount of the check is the after-tax take home amount. His smile and laughter says it all.

Watch:

from MadeMeSmile

"Let's take it to the bank, then!" Heck yeah, kid.

People are remembering with fondness their own first paychecks

Many viral videos of first paycheck reveals include complaints about how much is taken out it in taxes, so it's refreshing to see this young man's joy at his after-tax pay. It was a beautiful moment to capture on film, as most of us remember that feeling of empowerment that came with our own first real paychecks.

People in the comments are feeling the nostalgia:

"I remember that feeling - pretty sweet to see money you earned yourself. Feels good earning your own cash."

"God that first paycheck felt so unreal. I will never forget you ace hardware."

"I remember my first paycheck was for like $300 after two weeks of being a counselor and I felt RICH. I immediately spent it all on a guitar that I still have 20 years later."

"I remember mine - from my first proper job. £64.29 in a little brown packet with holes in it to see the cash inside. 1980. 😂"

"My first “paycheck” was like $65, I was so proud. I took my mom to pizzeria to treat her and she was very very touched."

"Man… I remember my first paycheck… 23 years ago now. For two weeks of what limited hours I could work being 14 years old… that baby was $96.19! HO-LY smokes was I on cloud 9. Cashed it right there at work and bought myself a bag of Skittles. It was a good day."

via GIPHY

Ah, to be young and unencumbered by adult expenses

Part of what makes this endearing is the innocence of it. As a teen, he's not worried about affording a mortgage or groceries or diapers or retirement savings. His elation over making $283 is adorable because he's just starting down the path of adulthood. Soon enough, that paycheck will seem small, but he's not there yet.

When you're a kid, money is kind of an abstract concept. Maybe you get a small allowance or get paid a few bucks for odd jobs, and opening a birthday card with some cash in it is exciting. It's not until you're fully into the working world for a while that the regular flow of money and what it means for your life really sinks in.

And it's not until you're a fully independent adult that you really grasp how relative your feelings about your paycheck can be. There's a big difference between being a 16-year-old getting your first paycheck and being a 30-year-old trying to raise a family on wages that don't cover all your needs. Things like cost-of-living and inflation start to actually mean something as you get older and experience their impact. You might find that you can make a lot more money and yet feel poorer than ever as expenses pile up into adulthood.

i.giphy.com

Don't we all wish we could go back to the hopeful, happy days of making our first real chunk of money before all of those grown-up concerns arose? That simple sense of pride in having worked hard and earned something. The excitement of being able to pay for something you want yourself. The sense of freedom that comes with those early earnings. We see and feel all of that in this teen's bright smile, and it's glorious.

He may not realize how different he might feel opening his paycheck down the road, but there's no need to tell him yet. We don't need to ruin this moment with "just you wait." He'll find out soon enough, as we all have, so let's just let him enjoy this moment of bliss. He's earned it.

From Your Site Articles

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They're the most educated group in America, but they're still grossly underpaid.

This month, there was some pretty great news for black women.

Celebrate with Michelle Obama!

Black women are now the most educated group in America, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

A higher percentage of black women — 9.7% to be exact — are enrolled in college than any other racial or gender group, including white men, white women, and Asian women.

It's the first time in American history that black women are leading the way in education.

And it's kind of incredible for a multitude of reasons, including the fact that education reduces poverty, promotes gender equality, and helps to lessen the spread of various health issues.

So just what are these educated black women doing?

The number of degrees conferred to black students has steadily been on the rise for two decades. And in the U.S. between 2009 and 2010, black women specifically earned 68% of associate’s degrees awarded to African-American students.

Of black students, also earned 66% of bachelor’s degrees, 71% of master’s degrees, and 65% of all doctorate degrees, too.

So yeah, black women are killing it.

#BlackGirlMagic is totally real. GIF from Apple.

But here's a kicker: While black women are the most educated group in America, they're still making substantially less than their white male counterparts.

About $20,000 less per year, to be exact — a ridiculously large gap.

Oprah says, "Not on my watch." GIF via "Oprah."

Unfortunately, this isn't super surprising. Every other demographic in America makes less than white men, too, but black women are on the significantly lower end of the wage bar.

What does this wage gap look like?

On average, an American woman earns about $39,000 per year compared with the $50,000 an average man earns.

If a woman were to work for 40 years, this would add up to a lifetime of around $430,000 of wages lost. For black women, that number jumps to almost $878,000 in wages lost overtime a lifetime.

Absolutely not.

When any demographic is underpaid or understaffed, the effects are pervasive, and we can see that firsthand with black women.

While the numbers of black women in higher-paying jobs are steadily increasing, black women are still largely underrepresented at the top of top-paying industries like engineering and computing. Of the estimated 24% of women in the STEM workforce, a mere 2% of black women are represented in that group.

Black women not having a seat at the high-wage table can be particularly damaging for their families, too.

More than 50% of black women with children are either the sole or primary breadwinners of families, compared with 40% of all of women.

But currently, 38% of black children live below the poverty line, a rate that has remained steady over the past few years while other groups have decreased.

Equalizing wages could make a huge difference in the lives of African-American children by giving them access to better schools, healthier lives, and increased opportunities.

As Viola Davis stated in her historic Emmy’s speech:

"The only thing that separates women of color from everyone else is opportunity."

Viola Davis teaching us all how to live at the 67th annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Image by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images.

The good news is, black women don’t back down from a challenge.

Right now, black women are voting at higher rates than the rest of the population, starting more businesses than any other groups of women, and creating opportunities for other black women to achieve even more.

They have been doing to work to improve minority lives for years.

Yes, girl. GIF from "Sister Act 2."

And when minorities are given a seat at the table of opportunity, we create a society that is strong, more understanding, and increasingly innovative.

From Your Site Articles

The U.S. Senate urges the U.S. Soccer Federation to give the team equal pay.

Earlier this year, members of the U.S. women's soccer team made a really great point about income inequality.

Their point basically being, "Hey, why are we being paid only about one-fourth what you're paying the men?" The U.S. women's soccer team generates more revenue then the U.S. men's soccer team and is far more successful than the men's team — so what's up with the pay difference?

Five members of the team filed a wage-discrimination action with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in hopes of getting the U.S. Soccer Federation to bump their pay equal to their male counterparts.

Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images.

The good news is: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution that calls on the USSF to give the women's team equal pay.

It seems that when it comes to supporting the nearly unstoppable U.S. Women's National Team, we've found an issue Democrats and Republicans can agree on.

The bad news is: The resolution is not legally binding, so the federation isn't being forced to comply.

Here are 11 reasons why the USSF should go ahead and pay up already:

1. The U.S. women's soccer team are three-time Women's World Cup champions.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

2. They're four-time Olympic gold medalists.

Here's the team receiving their gold medals at the 2012 Olympic games in London. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images.

3. They got their own parade in New York.

Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images.

4. They met the president.

After winning the 2015 Women's World Cup, the team stopped by the White House to present President Obama with a team jersey. Photo by Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

5. They have awesome fans.

Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images.

And let's not forget the players...

6. Hope Solo, who holds the U.S. record for most career shutouts.

Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images.

7. Carli Lloyd, a midfielder and team co-captain with 79 career goals for the national team.

Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images.

8. Becky Sauerbrunn, a defender and co-captain known for her strength and self-motivation.

Becky Sauerbrunn, #4, chases down a loose ball against pressure from midfielder Chelsea Stewart of Canada. Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images.

9. Ali Krieger, one of the team's strongest backline players and known for her ability to chase down loose balls.

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

10. Alex Morgan, a forward with 64 career goals for the national team.

Alex Morgan, #13, goes up for a header against goalkeeper Nadine Angerer of Germany. Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images.

11. Megan Rapinoe, a midfielder who's appeared in 113 games for the national team and known for her passing skills.

Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images.

Wage inequality affects women all over the world, not just famous athletes.

In the U.S., there's been a push by Democrats to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, though it's been blocked four times before. The bill would amend current law, toughening up the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

While the action taken by the Senate doesn't singularly solve wage inequality, it can certainly be considered a goal for women everywhere. 1-0.

There are mothers with full-time jobs who go hungry in order to feed their kids.

True

It can be easy to forget that real people lie at the center of every movement.

From the fight for religious freedom to the ongoing struggles for racial, gender, and socioeconomic equality, these movements are carried by regular people: mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends who are working every day to make their voices heard.

The Fight for $15 is no different. It's about people fighting to survive.

Take, for instance, Adriana, a mother who has worked at McDonald's for five years.

Adriana's take-home pay for one two-week, full-time pay period was $508.38.

And like all of us, she has bills to pay.

She pays $100 per week in childcare for her son. Heat and water cost her $300 per month, and her rent is $500. With expenses for just those necessities already exceeding more than twice what she brought home for that two-week pay period — how is she supposed to pay for groceries? Emergency medical care? Internet so that her son can get his homework done? It's almost impossible.

What are workers supposed to do when they're working 40+ hours per week, doing necessary jobs, only to find that they're unable to make ends meet?

The minimum wage in the U.S. varies state by state; as of May 2016, it ranges from $7.25 to $10.50 per hour (with D.C. set to bump up to $11.50 on July 1). While some states do have slight increases scheduled years away, the sad reality is that with cost of living on the rise, it's still not enough to be a livable wage. So what does that mean?

There are veterans with full-time jobs who can't afford food.

There are parents who can only feed their kids if they themselves don't eat.

Or who give up everything so that their kids don't have to.

The people fighting for $15 work hard. They make multibillion-dollar corporations those billions of dollars.

Now, they're just asking to be compensated for it and for the freedom to form a union so they can get a seat at the table with the corporate CEOs who make so many decisions that affect their lives. They're fighting for their families and better pay so they can put money back into their neighborhoods. So they can strengthen and boost their local economy.

There's a long way to go, but the tides are turning.

New York and California have agreed to the $15 minimum wage. Thousands of workers in Pennsylvania are seeing their wages increase to $15 an hour. And the more these stories are heard, the stronger the voices of the thousands of people who are fighting for nothing more than the ability to survive can become.

If enough people stand behind them and share their stories, corporations will have no choice but to listen.