What I Wish School Taught at 16

At sixteen you are months from contracts—jobs, phones, loans, dating platforms. Yet many students never see a payslip explained line by line.

Wish list: how income tax brackets actually work; how to read a lease; how to dispute a bad charge; how to cook ten cheap meals; how to spot phishing; how to calm your nervous system before exams.

Negotiation practice matters early. Role-play asking for a raise or declining predatory offers builds muscle before rent is due.

Media literacy: screenshot claims are not sources; outrage is engagement bait; health advice needs credentials and conflicts listed.

Friendship and consent education prevent harm more than abstract virtue posters.

Parents: co-sign nothing you do not understand together. Teens: teach grandparents phishing tips—they are prime targets.

Use field-guides on scams and critical thinking online as adult supplements.