Why 21 is the official age of being an adult? Why not 20?

Question

Well i'm turning 21 this Oct.. I don't understand why it is 21 years old? Who came out this concept and why?

In many Asia countries, the age is 18.. But here is 21! Lol! A lot movies are R-21 also

Answer 1

In the UK it is 18 and age of consent is 16.
In Holland the age of consent is apparently 12 and so is in Spain 12. What have you to say to that ?!?!?!?!?! So don't complain. The longer a child is a child the stronger an adult he/she will be. You hurry that stage in a person's life and you screw their future lives !!
In the UK there are no movies for 21. IN the UK we have only for very young children, then for 12 , then 15 and then 18.... and this classification has recently been altered by the government body in charge of that... What they did was to change all films for 18 to make them 15... all 15 films they made them 12. ALL WITHOUT CONSULTING PARENTS, OF COURSE !!!! Otherwise parents might oppose it, of course.

Answer 2

You mean "legal" age of being an adult? That definition differs from state to state in the U.S. where it concerns alcohol consumption and voting age for example. You can vote in any elections when you are 18. You can join the armed forces and fight and die for your country at 18. If you fight for your country, aren't you an adult then? And yet, in New York, you can purchase alcohol or tobacco until you are 21. Also in NY, parents are required by law to provide food, shelter and clothing to their children until they are 21. But when you reach 18, you alone are responsible for any debts you incurr, not your parents.

Who decided on the official age? And Why? Obviously various state and federal legislators passed the laws regarding 18 to 21 year-olds, but I suspect that various social agencies and insurance companies were the driving lobbyist force behind the legislations in order to address economic aims. For example, insurance companies don't want to have to pay out for car accidents for drivers under 21 who were drinking. And I suspect that the federal government wants more 18 year-olds than 21 year-olds because 18 year-olds are younger, more moldable to the military way and have effective service period 3 years more than those who are already 21.

Answer 3

In Canada 18 is adult, but you can't drink until 19 in some places.
Most places have adult age at 18 but the drinking age is what may be 21

Answer 4

It's different for different things... and each state is different as well.
Like a woman can get married at a pretty young age in some states but can't vote or drink. Years ago, in some states 19 was the age a person could drink. But due to an increase in car fatalities, it was moved back to 21. Check out the different state laws on the net. East to "Google."

Answer 5

It's only 18 in the uk.

If you ask me i think they should invent some kind of maturity test or something but that would make things too difficult so i guess 21 is the age when the government thinks that the most immaturist of people will be responsible enough to drink etc.

Answer 6

It depends where you are. In New Zealand its 18. AT 18 here, you can drink,vote, get married with no permission, go to war and die, all the adult stuff. Maybe where you are its the right to drink and able to do all adult things. It used to be based on the age where you got to vote or have the right to be free from your parents.

Answer 7

I don't know, because if you're male and 18 they can sure draft my son's little behind if they want! And if he looks at a girl cross-eyed and she's offended when he's 13 and her parents file charges, then he's charged as an adult. So go figure - who knows what age is adult and isn't anymore - it's not like very many people act adult regardless of their age.

Answer 8

because this is the age your brain has fully matured.
There is a certain part of it, the amygdala that teens+ use most, that deals with emotional, gut feelings,and by 21 your ready to use your frontal cortex fully! The part which governs reasoning and planning! YAAAYYY!!!
So, maybe voting should be moved to 21 yrs?

Answer 9

Why not 18? In the UK and CH you're an adult when you're 18. I think 21 is ridiculous.
Cool, your birthday is in October. Mine too.

Answer 10

it should be 18, after all you can get married, join the military and die for our country, and vote to elect the president. but you're not mature enough to drink???? absolutely makes no sense, it's an arbitrary decision the government made apparently to keep new recruits and college students from partying too much, and it's been very successful hasn't it you never hear of drinking at frathouses or military bases lololol...........