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My humble opinion: Kid is suffering from depression due to what he perceives as a lack of a future. Super outside opinion here but, if you're able to, maybe send him on a trip by himself or with a close friend. Somewhere adventurous, to make him feel like he's really accomplished or done something he can be proud of after HS. Somewhere like Talum or Thailand for a couple of weeks, Euro kids do it all the time at that age and he could stay in a hostel with other similar-aged kids for just $10 a night in those backpacker towns. Or maybe on a camping trip in say one of Utah's National Parks, or snowboarding in Colorado. Would instantly turn you into the cool parent for actually understanding and helping him do more than just take a $17/hr job flipping burgers. Pulling a reverse card might actually help motivate him to come home and take one of those jobs bc now he has a newfound meaning for working, a hobby he's proud of, whether that be traveling to cool places, hiking, snowboarding or whatever.
Just my .02c, not a father, but was once a 19-year-old kid in KS wanting to experience more.
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