Rowan Jensen, Junior – Special to Headlight
What is the real definition of adult? At what age should it be legal to drink? To vote? To be drafted to go to war?
American society sees an adult as someone who is 18 years of age. This is far too young because we, as humans, are not fully developed by then. The classification of adults is lower than it should be: the true age should be 25 years of age.
As a teenager myself, I have hung out with enough kids my age where I could only pick out a handful who are responsible enough to take on the tasks of being an adult. 25 is the perfect age to be considered an adult due to increased maturity and added responsibilities, such as college, jobs, military, etc. Most teenagers in this world are not fully ready for this change of responsibility.
The most common misconception about the human brain is that it is fully matured by 18 years of age. False. The prefrontal cortex is fully developed by the age of 25. This part of your brain is responsible for regulating your actions, emotions, and thoughts through large connections with other regions of the brain. According to NPR, “Under most laws, young people are recognized as adults at age 18. But emerging science about brain development suggests that most people don’t reach full maturity until the age 25.” This matter should be taken more seriously and requires further research and discussion. Yet, no one around the country bothers to lay a glove on this subject.
In a talk about the appropriate age to purchase firearms, John Rodgers, a Vermont State Senator, is decisive that, “it is clear that persons under 21 years of age are not developmentally mature enough to safely possess them.” Take this seriously. People do not understand that we are trusting under 21 year olds to possess weapons that can cause major harm.
One might argue that since 18 year olds are still allowed to be drafted into the military and vote, they should be considered adults. How is it that people who fight in war are not allowed to have a drink? This makes no sense. The age needs to be pushed back.
Clearly, we, as humans, are not fully developed by the age of 18 or 21. Therefore, we should not be considered adults at that time in our lives.