You can smoke, die for your country, vote, and have sex with any other over 18. But 1 day under 18, you can't do shiznit.
Why magically at 18 does everything change?
2007-05-22 05:09:10 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Social Science ➔ Psychology
Two words: the law.
2007-05-22 05:14:15 · answer #1 · answered by Elly L 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there's no reasonable way to determine of each person how mature they are, the law needs an objective (if arbitrary) cut off age.
I don't know how it came to be 18.
When I was young, you couldn't vote until 21; to which many young people objected that it seemed unfair you can be sent to kill and die -- there was a draft back then -- but can't vote on the leaders who make that decision.
They also objected to not being able to drink, but that changed the other direction; places that allowed drinking at 18 raised their drinking age to 21, rather than them all being lowered to 18.
I think this was for statistical reasons -- too many late-teens drinking and driving, for instance.
Anyway, because the law works the way it works, and we need easy ways to distinguish adults from minors, 18 was set as the arbitrary limit.
2007-05-22 16:09:58 · answer #2 · answered by tehabwa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It represents a level of freedom that you previously did not have. The priviledge to vote, join the armed forces, and live alone. You can rent your own apartment, and enjoy a sense of freedom that you don't have at home. It is the age of freedom, with which comes responsibility. It looks all pretty from the outside, but once your there, your childhood is gone.
2007-05-22 12:24:12 · answer #3 · answered by heidiatols 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I have a 17 year old and until the DAY she turns 18 she is mine in the sense it's one more day I can protect her and make the sensible choice in what ever happens that day,after that she has to make the choices herself and she may make the wrong one. And your always your parents child so protecting you even for one more day is a comfort for every parent.
After that day your on your own "TECHNICALLY" good luck
2007-05-22 12:23:01 · answer #4 · answered by melodeyandfamily 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the brain is completely formed...froom 13 to 18, the brain's chemestry is still forming so its ages of confusion...low self-esteem and the personnality stabilizes at the age of 18 which makes a person more confident, smarter...
2007-05-22 12:33:04 · answer #5 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we have to set some limit.. after all you don't want old men going after 13 year old girls... and our society has evolved so that 18 is our time to grow up... and legally we set our social norm as the date... there is some flexibility though.. such as with sex.. in the laws, depending on your state.
2007-05-22 12:20:48 · answer #6 · answered by pip 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you get emancipated from parent control and can start working on your dreams .
2007-05-22 13:00:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋