At what age does one become an adult?

[Scarecrow13]

In the US we generally think of 18 as being the age you become an adult, but why is this? The best I can figure is it coincides with graduating high school and so now you are out on your own in the word. Yet even here why do we have that many years of school specifically? Yet you still can't drink until you are 21

(I know this is different in other countries, which just plays into my argument even more).

We think of that age of consent for sex in the US as being 18 (can't watch or participate in porn until you are 18) yet it actually varies state by state.

It ranges from 16-18

Countries vary even more.

look at some of those ages

How do we arrive here? Girls complete puberty at about 15 or so,guys at about 16, but the brain doesn't fully develop until you are in your mid 20s, so any number within this range to determine adulthood seems rather arbitrary. In the US, we also let kids drive at 16 (opperate a dangerous piece of machinery). They can serve in the military (risk their lives and others') at and vote at 18 (but remember, still can't drink legally).

In the past the ages of adulthood tended to be much younger. There is also the idea that teen aged is a relatively new concept in history, as in the past, you went right from being a child to an adult.

https://www.BBC.com/news/magazine-26289459

In saying this I am not trying to promote the idea of pedophilia or hebephila, merely trying to figure out how we arrived at the ages we do. The things that peopel are allowed to do at various ages seems quite arbitrary when you get down to it.Maybe this is more of a musing than an actual MyTake, as I haven't definitively resolved anything, but is also more involved than what qualifies as a question.

[MrOracle]

A lot of these seemingly arbitrary ages need to be looked at in the context of the area they apply to.

For example, the drinking age in the US is 21 instead of 18, as it is in most of Europe - but Europe has FAR fewer cars per capita and uses mass transit much more than in the US, which is much larger and geographically spread out. The US's higher use of cars is a huge reason for the higher drinking age.

It's also why the driving age is lower in the US. You will find those kinds of contextual reasons for the difference in laws if you look hard enough - the reasons aren't always as obvious to those on the outside, but laws tend to get adjusted until they work well for the area they govern.

As far as Age Of Consent laws in the US, you'll find that they were much lower in most states until the early 70s when 3rd Wave Feminists pushed for the age to be raised, which continued into the 90s (the AoC was still 14 in Texas until after the Branch Davidian fiasco in the early 90s).

But prior to WWII, a huge amount of the population still lived in rural areas (suburbs were a post-WWII concept, so you either lived in or near a major city, or in a rural area - not much in between) and 8th Grade educations were typical in rural areas, with people marrying young and starting families and farming being a very common occurrence.)

WWII really kicked technology into high gear, and the Space Program and the Cold War in general being huge catalysts, and American life changed massively after the war compared to before, where outside the big cities and factory jobs, everything was rural farms.

[Scarecrow13]

A well reasoned answer.

[BlackRoseFairy]

Adulthood doesn't come overnight with a number. You are not an adult once you turn 18 or 21 or obtain certain rights.
Being an adult means being responsible for yourself and your actions, realizing what life comes with, having a mature way of thinking, being able to take care of your own needs (health, food, cleanliness, bills, etc), being able to handle your own finances, being emotionally ready to face all this... Age is just a number. And age doesn't define maturity.

[PressOn]

I consider a person an adult when a person is responsible to make the right decision.

You are an adult when you know when not to drink, not just when you can hold your liquor. Your an adult when you realize the importance & responsibilities of voting for the health of your country at large & not for your personal benefit. Neither is it just for those who can push a button or a card

Puberty has not been as much of a doorway to adulthood, but more of an exit from childhood. Even though some people are forced into such situations

It's sad when military men or women don't grow up after such training as I have seen time & again. I venture to say though, those who see active duty come back with a more mature outlook.

Just because "the law" lays out specific ages, doesn't make a person ready to have leadership qualities. Such as having children of their own. Even though that probably is the single most event to bring a person into adulthood.

Lastly, and a good example of keeping citizens from responsibility is to keep them "attatched to mother's (& father's) tits." I refer to keeping parent's children on insurance till they are 26. Actually, social program in general keeps people from taking on responsibilities.

[zagor]

It is pretty much arbitrary; emotionally and mentally, some people are mature at 16, others aren't at 30. Even physically, there is a lot of variation; I knew guys who had a full beard at 15, while I only had to shave once a week until I was nearly 25. I also knew a guy who towered over me in Jr. High but I passed him up in HS.

Laws are set to try and account for a time when the vast majority of people would be considered "adult" enough to engage in the behavior in question, but it is not a scientific process - culture is the main influence.

[Scarecrow13]

I wonder if there was a way to tie such laws to level of maturity rather than age, although that would likely be way too complicated, as age is much easier to measure.

[Hurlyburly]

Legally at 18, in my country that's also the drinking age and the age you're allowed to get a driver's license so there is no contradiction for me. But no one can tell when you're actually becoming an adult. Some people are still pretty immature and irresponsible in their 30s

[Toadaso]

25 is when your brain is fully formed. Therefore you aren't an adult until 25

[Scarecrow13]

Should we change our laws to reflect this?

[Toadaso]

I believe 25 should be the legal again for all drugs, including alcohol. They are mind altering and shouldn't be consumed while the brain is developing

[Toadaso]

Legal age*

[Scarecrow13]

What about caffeine? That is quite mind altering as well.

[Toadaso]

All drugs

[Cmcelts15]

I don’t know check out these parents allow their 11 year old to dance for dollar bills at gay bars

www.breitbart.com/.../

[Nonbinary]

The moment a person inherently understands that the world is indifferent to themselves and all duty lies responsible purely on themselves. More over also embraces this nature they are currently in.

[Scarecrow13]

So many people never grow up then.

[Nonbinary]

Sadly

[almondcake]

18 is a young adult 21 is adult in UK but in the UK 5 years old is the legal age for drinking alchahol so I dont think alchahol has anything to do with adulthood

[Scarecrow13]

5 years old is the legal drinking age, really? I'm pretty sure it was about 16.

[almondcake]

No it is 5 years old in UK other than that there is no legal age restriction to buying alchahol or tobaco in the UK but there is a law against selling to under 18s but buying them your not breaking laws its the seller that gets in trouble. I guess the 5 year old law is probably an old religious thing about sipping wine but Im not certain of this

[Scarecrow13]

Oh, I think it's the selling that is the law yes. In the US I believe that is how it works most places, you aren't allowed to sell it but if a parent gives some to their kid at home, they couldn't be arrested for that.

[almondcake]

Yes same here really but the law here says 5 years old for drinking it

[Anjali090]

Legally it should be 18 but some people never grow up even when they are in their 30s

[Anonymous]

For a man, once he has pubes.
For a woman, once she has boobs.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

Doesn't matter how old they as long as they are responsible enough. But they to be at least 18 because that is what the law said.

[Scarecrow13]

But why does the law say that? That's the real question. I am not telling anyone to break the law but asking why it is the way it is, and 18 actually isn't the law in most places anyway, m as I have demonstrated.

[Aiko_E_Lara]

It's just people today are having a hard time becoming an adult since they got more dependent of their comfort zone since internet became a big thing but 18 year olds back then were matured enough and the law haven't change that.

[FinalFantasyBro]

In my state you officially become an adult at eighteen but you need to be twenty one to be able to drink and smoke.

[Aphrodite801]

Most girls don’t complete puberty at about 15 nor do guys at 16, that’s ridiculous.

[Scarecrow13]

Look under physical change section, in this one I was off by about a year but I have seen other sources saying what I say, but it varies by individual.
www.pamf.org/.../pre-growth.html

[Aphrodite801]

Many sources are false crap. But it’s obvious that girls still go through puberty after 15. Same with guys after 16. They are still “Teens”. I myself am still going through puberty and can tell (I’m 17)

[Aphrodite801]

Anyways, to me I recognize people as adults at 21.

[Smegskull]

The day they realise they aren't important or special or valuable, etc.

[MarketNews]

Whenever you start taking responsibility for your own life. Coud be today, could be tomorrow.

[Liam_Hayden]

When he or she is self-supporting.

[sheepdip]

Jesus that beer has too much head

[Scarecrow13]

That's what she said.

[Secretgardenblood]

Good take

[Minato157]

It’s 18 and not 20here in Finland

[TheAmazingDoggo]

18 here. Sadly, I feel nothing like an adult

[fourhj256]

10 😂