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Adulthood at 18? Not so much. More like 24.

May 7, 2012 @ 6:25 pm (Updated: 5:43 am - 5/8/12 )

By Rachel Belle

18 Years

Listen to Feature: Adulthood at 18? Not so much. More like 24.

When you're 16, you're entitled to a bit of immaturity. You might sleep until noon every weekend, make poor decisions and get into trouble. But when you turn 18 you have the right to vote, buy cigarettes and gamble. You're officially branded an adult in this country. But think back to when you were 18: did you really feel like an adult? I definitely did not. Scientists now say that as far as your brain is concerned you're not an adult at 18.

Jen Brown is a nurse in the adolescent medicine department at Seattle Children's Hospital.

"For late teenagers, there are still some of those adolescent traits, what they call Sensation Seeking, doing things for the thrill of them. From what we can tell, the brain peaks at 15 for that kind of thing. In the late teens I think that people are taking risks and perhaps seeing rewards such as something novel or a new sensation or peer approval."

Even though some of the risks can be negative, like driving drunk without thinking of the consequences or having unprotected sex and not thinking that they could get pregnant or an STD, there's an evolutionary purpose to acting like a crazy monkey in your late teens.

"There's a theory that all of these traits are basically what you need to boot yourself out of the house. You are seeking thrills and you are caring more about your peers than your parents and that's important because you're transitioning. It drives adolescents out of the home. In your parents home, you're fed, you're clothed, you're sheltered. You need a reason to leave or you just stay there forever."

So when your smart teenager makes terrible decisions, sometimes their brain is to blame. The frontal lobe of the brain is the last to develop, and that's the place where you learn to organize, form strategies, control impulses and weigh priorities. This part of the brain usually isn't fully developed until you're about 24-year-old. But Jen says you should still try and set your teen on a good path.

"An important thing for parents to do is help their teens learn self control. To help their teens learn which risks could have some really cool rewards. Learning something new, meeting someone new, traveling; there are plenty of risks out there that can be really useful. As opposed to risks that just don't have much of a reward."

Like doing meth and dropping out of college! Despite the fact that the brain isn't quite adult, cultures around the world seem to be fixated on the number 18.

"If you look at most societies, the average age for being considered an adult is about 18. I looked up the average age of marriage around the world. It's about 18, for women anyway."

So should we shift the age of adulthood in this country?

"I certainly wouldn't say that we should raise the age of majority because of this research. I think that by 18 most late teenagers, depending on their circumstances, have the the capacity to act in an adult manner, even if their thinking is different from a 30 or 40-year-old."

 

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Comments (41)


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  • tuleman003 wrote...
    Adulthood
    May 8, 2012 7:03 am
    is the ability to take responsibility for one's actions. I know some 16-year-olds that are more adult that other 25- to 30-year-olds. After the age of 18, though, we give them a tacky little phrase like "diminished capacity", (i.e. CH or Newton).
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  • SONAR GOD wrote...
    Diminished Capacity
    May 8, 2012 7:21 am
    i.e Democrat
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  • SONAR GOD wrote...
    sorry
    May 8, 2012 7:22 am
    Couldn't resist
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  • Citizen of Krazy Town wrote...
    On my 18th birthday, my mom woke me up and said "Happy birthday, pay me rent or move out."
    May 8, 2012 8:06 am
    So I moved out.

    Yep, I felt grown up.

    As ar as the scientists go, they should take another look at the lives of the people who helped make this country great. I'll bet they will be hard put to find even one that hadn't had a significant accomplishment before they were 18.

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  • sportsguru wrote...
    I'll tell you what
    May 8, 2012 8:36 am
    p>If you can lock me up with grown man and/or send me to a foreign country to die for this country then I darn well better be able to vote.

    Since you want to take away young men and womens ability to vote, then when the next war for YOUR oil start, it's going to be comical watching you old geezer's sitting in a foxhole with water up to your armpit's for hours, sleep deprved, hungry and away from your family, friends, etc.

    My parents were activist in the 70's, at 10 yrs old, I knew more about politic's and the way America worked than most people in there 50 - 60's, when the times are good, nobody care's and when times are bad, everybody is an economist and social sociologist,lol.

    Tough times makes a coward out of a lot of people.

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  • kata wrote...
    yes
    May 8, 2012 9:20 am
    I managed just fine at 18. It was just what we were expected to do, so we did.
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  • tgowt3 wrote...
    Youth Will Destroy This Nation!
    May 8, 2012 9:45 am
    Hahahaha! I just hope that when I'm fifty-something I don't blame the state of the nation on the youth. Funny how the youth have had such a MAJOR impact on this nation. Let's see....the youth start voting and completely derail the country? Really? Hmmm....doesn't make sense. There will always be young folk and we can assume that they will have a voice, so does that mean that we are forever doomed because the new youth will constantly misdirect the nation? Bunch of bull! I don't know why so many middle-aged citizens are so outraged and choose to blame the youth but I'd like to know what good it does to point the finger. Differ in opinion, that's fine, but to have such strong hatred toward younger generations is useless and idiotic. "Our nation is more split than ever" and you want to divide it further...what sense does that make? It seems to me that life didn't work out so well for some and the blame is placed on the youth. Keep your Albatross, you've earned it. Take responsibility for your life decisions and stop pushing the blame towards others. Let the youth have their dreams and hold on to hope for the WORLD to be a better place. And who cares what people study in college, it's their choice and they'll live with the rewards or consequences of their decisions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with ANYONE furthering their education no matter what subjects they study. Open your minds or get out of the way. You don't have to agree with everyone on everything but for God's sake don't judge others and be filled with hate and disgust, you only look like a fool. If after reading this you feel rage brewing within you, then the shoe probably fits......
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  • mobeta wrote...
    not blaming the youth!
    May 8, 2012 9:51 am
    Liberal whacks are who I blame. And if you are one, you are the problem! The socialist structure of the education system is also to blame that take advantage of the youth leading them down the communist road. So be it, vote that dude in again and see where we will be in a few years. A shadow of this great country. Liberals are the rot and decay of this country period, end of story!
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    Since 1980
    May 8, 2012 9:58 am
    Republican's have held the highest office in america 20 out of the 32 year, I think conservative republicans should take some responsibility for where America is at today, if you don't then nothing you say is valid and is just a rant.
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  • tgowt3 wrote...
    @sportsguru
    May 8, 2012 10:37 am
    That would require people to face the truth and be honest with themselves...it's no fun that way, they'd rather rant about communism and socialism than to admit that they had a part in allowing this country to become what it is/isn't today. Its not about republican or democrat anyways. We all get so distracted by those labels that we often times fail to see that the two parties are relatively similar compared to the other ideologies out there. If only we could remove the labels and politics was about making positive steps rather than wasting time and money trying to win a contest. Maybe I'll wake up someday but for now I'll hold on to my dream that we will someday have political offices held by realists who aren't concerned about money, votes, and political preference and are more concerned about doing good instead of worrying about re-election. Oh wait, that probably makes me a communist...yeah?
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  • sportsguru wrote...
    tgowt3
    May 8, 2012 11:03 am

    I concur with everything you just said, to add to that, I think both party's are owned by people and financial interest/institutions who could care less what happens to the people of this country and we are just useful idiots to both side's of the political spectrum and fights against one another instead of the powers that be who make all this possible.

    Until we can correct our political system, it's going to be the same ole thing over and over again with no chance at making things right, Dem's ain't sh!!tt either and I take offense to being taken from a fool, but I am a dinosaur on this blog for taking a stand against the whole political system. Peace

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  • mobeta wrote...
    tgpwt3
    May 8, 2012 5:48 pm
    You are a communist! There you go! You called it yourself. Call me a bigot, I don't care because I know I'm not. Welcome to the DSA, the Divided State of America. The democrats have perfected this art of division and we the silent majority are tired of being silent. We are coming at you with both barrels and if you don't like too friken bad. You weenie limp kneed little liberals, the war is ON! You will lose. Socialism never works because once you run out of other peoples money, we trun into Greece, Italy, Spain and all the rest of Europe that is ready to explode. Way to go, we are now broke, have no money and the ones who depend or mooch off the government are the ones who will be hurt and so be it. You voted that way so too friken bad, you reap what you sow. I'm taking my money and refuse to participate in this economy where I had 55 employees, now down to 2. Once Romney is in and I know that I have some one who will be president of ALL of us, then I will return to the business community. I refuse to support Juvinile in Chief!
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  • tgowt3 wrote...
    @mobeta
    May 8, 2012 9:20 pm
    Put down the booze and unload your guns before you hurt yourself. Or maybe you shouldn't...hmmm, which would I prefer? The "silent majority"....are you kidding me? The tea party has just recently run away to hide and you call yourself the "silent majority"? That so called majority must not have voted cuz if they did then THEY voted in our leaders, to include the Honorable President Barrack Obama. If you recall, votes are counted and usually majority vote wins. Let me stop you before you say electoral college because that wasn't the case when Obama was elected. He won by a landslide so your majority was either cleaning their rifles or they voted him in. Europe isn't ready to explode, they'll survive... I promise. Our nation is not following the same path and you're a fool if you think otherwise. Your points make no sense or maybe I'm too stupid to understand. You "will return to the business community", "I had 55 employees, now down to 2"...What are you talking about? Are you saying that in protest of your "Juvinile in Chief" you shut your business down or are you saying that your business has dwindled because of the economy? I don't get the point you're trying to make and I'll refrain from informing you that you're a moron until after you've had a chance to elaborate. When the whiskey runs dry and your clip is emptied, please respond and explain yourself. Thanks! Oh FYI the whole "south will rise again" theme is lame, used up, tired, and you can stop with the weak analogies of THE WAR IS ON.
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  • Pete in Seattle wrote...
    Age creep
    May 8, 2012 12:30 pm
    I think it has to do more with expectations than a numerical age. At one time post-puberty was considered adulthood and you were supposed to take your place as a contributor to society. Both Jewish and Christian churches still do this - after Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Confirmation you are supposed to attend regularly, tithe appropriately, and serve on boards and committees. High school was a bit of a luxury. By the mid-20th century High School was ubiquitous and had become a necessity, with college the luxury for those who could either afford it or were qualified to receive a scholarship. Those who went were motivated to learn. Then came the community colleges and cheap education and the idea that kids had 4 more years to learn about "life" before actually having to live it. And not that long ago the IRS raised the age at which dependents could no longer be claimed - it was once 18 unless still in school. What we have done is lower or delay our expectations. I say expect something more and we might get more folks acting as adults at an earlier chronological age.
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  • kata wrote...
    Well said, Pete.
    May 8, 2012 1:34 pm
    -
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