I started doing web design/development in 6th grade after learning to make a website for a gaming group. At the same time, I was active on the Neowin tech forum where there is a graphics/media user marketplace and exchange. So, as a youngster I got excited about the prospect of making a buck or two
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From there it was just a big snowball effect. By the time I was in 8th grade I was fairly good at what I was doing and my brother was on the robotics team. They needed to their website updated and reached out to me. Throughout my time on the team, I redesigned/revamped our website several times until it became what it is today.
In high school, I managed websites attracting 50,000 different people and 300,000+ page views (and that's small) from around the world. Additionally, while my friends were flipping burgers and waiting tables, I was sitting at home making more than at least twice their hourly wage doing web/graphic design for local businesses and organizations
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So, if the prospect of learning something new and exciting isn't attracting anyone, consider showing them the possibilities of what someone can do once they attain these skills. My story dwarfs in comparison to some industry successes (Facebook, Twitter, etc).