Do you consider 18 as being an adult?

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I know that being 18 means that you are legally an adult which means you can vote, join the military, and do anything without your parents' permission. To me, 18 year olds are still kids. Many 18 year olds as well as people in their 20s still receive financial support from their parents. Many young adults today do not seem to have the maturity or financial stability to be on their own. People today are living with their parents in their 30s. Back in the olden days, you were expected to be a full grown adult by the time you turned 18. Lots of people got married and started having kids by the time they they were in their late teens or early 20s. Many of them moved out of their homes at 18 and started their career or fighting for their country. It seems like more people today are taking longer to grow up. I still think of myself as a kid. I am nowhere near ready to be out on my own and sometimes it feels like I will never be ready.

In which case, when are we to be considered adults? There has to be a cut off point, and 18 is a good a point as any. If you move it to 21 the pace of child and teenage development will be slower. If people then don't consider 21 enough, will it be 25? Before you know it, 40 year-olds will just about be considered grown people.

Young adult (versus mature adult). At 18 you're officially an adult but are still just learning the ropes of adult responsibilities and expectations. Some immaturity and irresponsibility is commonplace but you gradually outgrow that and become a mature adult. Generally that's mid- to late 20s. Some people are faster or slower to mature... there are always exceptions to the rule.

* snort! *

no, not by a long shot!


And as for when people can be considered adult, the brain is said to be fully mature in our mid-20's and that seems to be when people start seem more adult as well.

Probably. I read somewhere that the brain is fully mature at 30.

Okay, look, there is a difference between aging physically and aging mentally. Just because you're aging physically does NOT mean you're aging mentally at the same pace. Believe me, I've seen some young children who are just as wise and responsible as adults (although they're still learning), and many grown-ups who think they're adults but their behaviors are NOT any better than spoiled children.

Since I heard that our brains aren't fully grown until we're 25, I think that's when we are officially adults. That's why teenagers typically have such a hard time thinking about the possible outcome of their actions; their brains are underdeveloped.

In a legal context yes. Morally, no. I believe adult is based off maturity and effeciancy. But at the same time, the goverment, no matter where you are can't really test a person based off maturity since there are flaws within that system. Its easy to cheat and lie and not get caught.

In the "olden days" people actually lived at home for a long time (they may have gotten married but their wife would move into their parents house with them). This idea that kids move out at 18 or 20 started in the 2nd half of the 20th century when doing so was more economically viable.