system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Unpaid internships should be illegal

Here is my reasoning:

1. “Coffee boy” type internships provide no actual experience, and if I’m not mistaken are already illegal in a lot of places. Sure, having that on your resumé might look good but if it hasn’t given you any experience then what is the point?

2. Internships where you are providing something of value to the company should be paid. This is a no-brainer. In this case you have a job. Calling it an internship to skirt payment is weasel-y and unethical.

3. Apprenticeship-style internships where you are training but not really contributing should also be paid. Companies pay employees for training all the time. They should be investing in their next crop of employees, rather than potential employees investing their time in the company.

4. Unpaid internships are generally for the more well-off. Many people cannot afford an unpaid internship. I’ve had to turn down several “great” internship opportunities in university because I couldn’t afford months of living expenses without working. Sure, I had student loans like everyone else but they didn’t fully cover my living costs and I had to work to supplement them. Unpaid work was not an option. The culture of unpaid internships perpetuates the cycle of wealthier students getting afforded more opportunities than poorer ones. 

I am open to having my view changed. Most people seem to be fine with unpaid internships as something to be expected. If you have had an internship that really launched your career or can think of a scenario I have not listed above where an unpaid internship arrangement is ideal then I would love to hear about it. Thanks!
gpt
It's sad that unpaid internships have the effect of freezing out talented people who can't afford a few months' living expenses without generating income. 

However, they play an important role in any developed economy. 

The working culture and skills required in many complex corporations mean a lifestyle totally unlike anything recent graduates have seen during their education. Some environments are extremely fast-paced and require the development of new skills to build on what a graduate already has. 

Some candidates may be unable to adapt. Some may not want to. Some may have done great in school, but find the activities they'd be hired for either boring or impossible. 

Low-level jobs in corporate law firms, for instance, involve insane working hours and intense competitiveness. On seeing this from the inside, interns may decide they'd rather use their degrees in a setting that might offer slower career progression but lower stress. They might see the endless seemingly pointless work expected of junior employees and decide to take a role that provides more fulfilment. 

The same kind of surprises might await applicants in many other industries, in fields like technology, finance, and marketing. 

Unpaid internships should not involve generating value for the company. Indeed, the company also pays a cost in the time its workers have to spend training candidates and introducing them to the corporate culture. 

The alternative is the classic "Entry level role - 5 years experience in similar positions required".