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News Day Tuesday: Age of Responsibility
Posted by Kathy
November 3, 2009
Categories:  What's Crackin'
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Aha! You thought I forgot about News Day Tuesday didn’t you? Well, you’re right. But I remembered! And it’s still technically Tuesday on the East Coast, so there! ;)

A long, long time ago, Binks sent me this article about how Saudi Arabia was considering a law that would set 18 as the minimum age for marriage. Around this time, there was a lot of international pressure on Saudi Arabia to ban child marriages, especially after one of its judges refused to grant a divorce for an 8-year old girl who was sold into marriage by her father.

You ever wonder about that? The age limits set by law? In the States, 18 is generally recognized as the age when you become “an adult” – whatever that means. In most states, you are tried as an adult if you commit a crime at 18. Why 18? Is it because that’s generally the age when most students are done with high school and get their first real taste of independence? Is it because 18 is when you’re allowed to vote? Is there some other reason?

Age limits aren’t even consistent. In most states, you can’t drink or gamble until you’re 21, but you can join the military and possibly die defending your country at 18. Yet you were only allowed to watch rated R movies by yourself for the first time a year before, when you were 17. Yet a year before that, at the age of 16, most states allowed you to drive a several ton metal box at high speeds. And yet you can’t rent a car until you’re 25. It all seems a bit random, doesn’t it? (To be fair though, there is some science behind the drinking age of 21.)

I read this article last week from Governing magazine, in which the cover story was about the Age of Responsibility. In the article, Alan Greenblatt delves into some of these inconsistencies and the history behind them, and wonders about how we as a society can tell when someone is capable of making mature, well-informed decisions. In other words, when does a person become a responsible adult?

Interesting side note…I mentioned before that there is some scientific basis for the drinking age of 21. It has to do with the fact that not only your brain but also your nervous system in general is still developing, and alcohol has been shown to have harmful effects on that development. Anyway, scientists have found that the part of the brain closely linked to “executive decision-making” isn’t fully developed until the age of 25. “Executive decision making” involves the ability to weigh the pros and cons of an action and think about its consequences. If you have well-developed executive decision-making skills, then you’re supposedly less likely to make impulsive decisions.

So what does it all mean? What do YOU think it means GBD? What do you think it means to be a mature person? What do you think about the age limits?

Thanks to Binks! Who once said age is just a number. Too bad the Lottery Commission didn’t buy that reasoning when she presented them with her winning ticket at the tender age of 6.

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G

November 3, 2009

You know what, Kathy? I have read those articles and I tried to think of something to say, but I only came up with one thing. YOU CAN DRINK AT 19 IN CANADA! MUAHAHAHAHHA! Gosh, maybe that’s why we’re all dumb lumberjacks and hockey players. We ruin our development with our beaver beer and moose cocktails :P HA, there is a beer called Moosehead. HA!


Binks

November 3, 2009

Geezus haha, this article was a looooonnggg time ago. :P

Eh, I don’t know if there really is an “age of responsibility” I think it depends on the person. But as a general consensus, I suppose 18 is a good age. What’s always bothered me is that drinking and gambling (depending on the state) can be at 21 and/or 18 but you can go to war at 18 for sure. I mean sure, once on the base you can drink and whatever other stuff but in order to you must enlist your life for your country. Since science proves “executive decision-making skills” develop fully at 25, wouldn’t it be better to just have a general age of 25 for everything -military, drinking, smoking, gambling- instead? (I know I just shot myself in the foot with this one but still :P ) I mean, I would think it would reduce the likelihood of ppl making the same decision. Of course by prohibiting something longer people are also going to try it sooner simply cause its banned /illegal. lol.

I dunno. THIS STUFF IS HARD. :P

I WANT MY LOTTO MONEY DANGNABBIT! >_> You’d think the cuteness of a 6 yr old would sway their decisions. These are tough ppl, I say. TOUGH.


Kathy

November 4, 2009

@G – You know, that explains a lot. Hahaha…just kidding. I think. ;)

@Binks – I know…sorry it took so long for me to post it. To make up for it, I’ll share my lotto winnings with you should that ever happen.

Oh, and just for clarity…I don’t think I explained this very well in the post…but that brain-development-age-25 thing isn’t like a universal hard and fast number. It’s generally true. And just because the prefrontal cortex generally reaches full development at 25 doesn’t mean executive decision-making skills are also fully developed. It’s just that there’s a correlation between the 2. But as the statistical maxim goes, correlation doesn’t equal causation.

That’s why the question of responsibility and age limits and law is so debatable, because ultimately it is an individual thing – not everyone develops at the same rate in the same way. But in terms of practical needs for a society, you need some sort of restrictions in place, or at least most people want those restrictions in place. And in a democratic society, people are supposed to be judged equally under the law. So it’s a bit of a dilemma…trying to balance individual needs with those of society. An age-old dilemma that people have struggled with for centuries.

Good thing to think about. :)


Jen.

November 4, 2009

Contradictions. That’s what I come up with when pondering this subject. I moved out and went away to school at 17. Big responsible adult decision. I wasn’t old enough to vote or drink, but I was paying bills and living independently. But I really missed my Mom. And I *may* have skipped a few classes. So not the height of my maturity.
I think having social regulations dictated by age is important, but full of possible exceptions. I have more questions than answers. I agree it depends on the person, but the laws are set to apply to the average person/maturity level and only on a case-by-case level can be applied to the individual. Good post!