Thread: Are you an "adult"?

I think that changing either the age of "adulthood" or the drinking age would be redundant. It doesn't matter what age people are allowed to start doing something, they will begin when they feel like it. I personally won't drink until I am 21 but that is just my state of mind. Maturity necessarily isn't in how old you are it is a personal characteristic. A raise in the drinking age will more than likely cause those who are under that age, who, at one time were old enough to drink to rebel and start drinking earlier to demonstrate their defiance.

Personally, I think that the legal age of adulthood should be 25.

Sprout, twenty-five??! Twenty five?? You do realize that twenty-five is nearing thirties, right? That's too long a way to be considered as an actual "adult". I think the right age is at least twenty-one. But like yours, this is just my opinion.

I think that there is a misconception that people have that if you are not an adult you can't be responsible. People can get jobs and have responsibilities long before that age. Heck back when it was 21 people were usually apprenticed by 14. If there is an issue there is always emancipation as atomik_sprout mentioned.

I agree that we should raise the legal age of adulthood. The brain really doesn't finish maturing until 21 anyway. I don't know about anyone else, though; I was born with the mind of a forty-year-old and have been getting younger since.

Originally Posted by Arrianna

There is something I have been thinking of for sometime that I expect everyone to have an opinion on. That is whether we should change the age of majority (when you become a legal adult) back to 21 or even as high as 24 yrs of age.

Here is my reasons.

1. Research into the affects of sex and childbirth indicate that it is better for a persons health if they wait to have sex/childbirth until they are at least 21.

2. Research into the effects of alcohol consumption have found that damage to the brain from excessive drinking is usually permanent if it takes place before the age 23-24. The same ages that it is most likely to occur. (After that to counter the effects one has merely to stop drinking.)

3. Studies into mental maturation discovered that people do their most changing mentally between the age of 18-21. After 21 one has finished maturing mentally.

So with all the arguing people do about what the proper age for buying alcohol etc is (say 16/18/21) I am thinking we should go in the opposite direction. Raise the age of adulthood to at least 21 and legal alcohol consumption to 23 or 24 (voting ages would of course follow).



What do the rest of you think?
The screaming may now commence.

Excellent idea! I dont think anyone should be considered an adult at 18! Being an adult sux. And pushing you to think you are at such an immature age, does not help the process.
Good thinking.

Excellent idea! I dont think anyone should be considered an adult at 18! Being an adult sux. And pushing you to think you are at such an immature age, does not help the process.
Good thinking.

So are alot of ppl at 25, which are also very immature. Its more of the persons personality, not always a age thing. Not everyone at 18 is immature. They have to be given responsibility at sometime, which was decided to be age 18. When your an adult at 18, you more of an apprentice adult. Learning how to be a full fledged one. Like i said before if you push the age ahead to be an adult, it will take them that much more to learn to be a full grown adult.

Originally Posted by Miroku4444

So are alot of ppl at 25, which are also very immature. Its more of the persons personality, not always a age thing. Not everyone at 18 is immature. They have to be given responsibility at sometime, which was decided to be age 18. When your an adult at 18, you more of an apprentice adult. Learning how to be a full fledged one. Like i said before if you push the age ahead to be an adult, it will take them that much more to learn to be a full grown adult.

Yeah i mean i was very mature at 16. And 18 i was a pretty well rounded person. But when my little brother turned 18, he was like some rebellious 13yr old, making alot of bad deciones that lets say, stays on his record. Its like giving a toddler a bucket of water and an electrical plug.