Teens (and tweens) used to do the bulk of the lawn care that homeowners didn't do themselves. I don't think we'll ever get back to that even if all of the immigrants were to be deported. They're just not interested in doing this kind of work anymore.
Picking strawberries in Oregon was my first job, and I progressed through the usual things kids did for money then, so I know where you're coming from. However, there is a major economic change we also need to consider. It used to be you could earn enough over the summer to buy a usable car or pay college tuition. Can a kid even come close to that now? If those jobs can no longer benefit kids to the same degree, avoiding them might actually be the most rational choice. I say this even though I appreciate the diligence I see in young people who had some early experience of working.
Moneywise, the jobs could make sense for workers if we didn't import so much from other countries (fruits, veggies, and products). The same applies to construction and lawn work. Is it better for these kids to be driving for Doordash or working at McDonalds or something than working outside? For young people especially, I think the answer is no. But we all know that most people prefer to work inside an air-conditioned building if possible, even if the job actually pays less than picking strawberries or whatever.
