Why is that mean?
It is actually a good idea.
IMHO teens should have at least a couple of jobs before they graduate. It teaches them things like showing up on time, how to start the day, how to clean up at the end, why you don't put things off and how you not doing your job hurts your fellow employees that have to pick up your slack.
And to the people who want to talk about how service industry jobs are "dead end jobs" no. They are not. If you get to be good at the job you end up in shift management, then in shop management and then with your own territory.
Ask the son of a friend of mine who is making quite good money in his early twenties because he decided to go make pizzas.
Wow what an interesting life you can have in the dough business. Fascinating.