Is Adulthood Defined By Age?
Legally, a person enters the realm of adulthood upon turning eighteen, but how one advances from childhood to adulthood is greatly dependent on upbringing. When sticks no longer have the power to produce magic, pinecones are no longer used as money, and school is no longer a place where show and tell is the only thing that matters, that is when childhood is abandoned. There are many factors that impact the rate at which a person becomes an adult. Some children never have the opportunity to be a stereotypical child. Perhaps the realities of life overpower the desire for make-believe. Growing up should be a gradual thing, however, sometimes it is forced upon a person. In order to be considered an adult, one must be able to accept responsibility for their actions, make independent decisions, and support themselves financially. Although society wants us to believe that all of these skills will magically appear upon a person’s eighteenth birthday, that is an impossible expectation. There are many factors that impact one’s ability to surrender their childlike habits or conversely, there are people who never had the opportunity to truly be a kid.
Contrary to our laws, adulthood should not be based on something as trivial as age. Adulthood should be determined by one’s mental and emotional growth. It is a privilege that is immensely linked to one’s ability to vote as if influencing leadership in one’s country actually gives a person power. “Although one might assume that most 18-year-olds have reached maturity, researchers have shown that adolescence actually extends into the early 20s” (Lai). The age disparities by law that allow someone to vote versus drink impact the label of adulthood. How can anyone actually decide that someone has reached the proper maturity level to participate in those things?
Growing up is something that can be linked to many different aspects of life, but in reality, there is no one thing that can take responsibility for this monumental shift, and there is no set time at which one is actually forced to grow up. Taking ownership of your behavior allows for the development of respect, both for yourself and for others. “It’s a simple truth that all human beings make mistakes and poor choices, [but accepting responsibility is] one of the most important factors in defining a person’s true character.” (Jackson). The long term effects of moving forward by accepting responsibility for one’s actions are what makes a person adult; when you are able to see past the present moment and on into the future, you are no longer being selfishly naive.
Another factor in the shift from childhood to adulthood is the environment that one grows up in. If a child is coddled and taught that they will get everything they want, growth is obstructed because they lack maturity, and the ability to make independent choices. “If a child was raised by an overprotective family then he will develop fears and insecurities because [he believes] that the world is unsafe.” (Radwan) These fears and insecurities will manifest in a lack of independence because that child was raised to consistently rely on others. On the other hand, if a child is neglected, they are forced to grow up immediately. That rapid growth, although necessary in many situations, causes lifelong stress and creates barriers. Forced independence is toxic to one’s true development. “Childhood experiences such as being bullied or neglected can result in [negative effects on] self-esteem of the adult for the rest of his life unless he starts to take corrective actions” (Radwan). Because adults “are just extensions to the childhood experiences they have been through,” true independence cannot be achieved unless those actions are taken (Radwan).
Many parents strive to be the ‘opposite’ of their parents, to raise their children with or without things that they suffered or things that allowed them to thrive. Adults who lacked the nurturing aspects of nature vs. nurture become heavily involved in their children’s lives as if giving their children a real childhood might repair the one that they lost. “Contrary to common beliefs we don’t inherit our personalities but instead we develop certain traits as a result of the experiences we pass through in life” (Radwan). People may desire financial stability for their children as a result of the instability they had growing up, and in order to be an adult, one must be able to support themselves. Laws cannot and will never have the ability to control brain development, and therefore mental maturity is the only way to accurately determine when someone has reached adulthood. Then we might ask ourselves, is law wrong?
Works cited:
Brazhyk. “Complete Life Cycle of Person’s Life from Childhood to Old Age. A Baby, a Child, a Teenager, an Adult, an Elderly Person.” Vecteezy, 14 Apr. 2019, www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/445454-complete-life-cycle-of-person-s-life-from-childhood-to-old-age-a-baby-a-child-a-teenager-an-adult-an-elderly-person.
“The Childhood Roots of Adult Lung Disease.” Medical News and Free CME Online, 26 June 2018, www.medpagetoday.com/resource-centers/contemporary-concepts-asthma/childhood-roots-adult-lung-disease/2050.
Lai, Jennifer. “Why Is the Age of Adulthood 18 and Not 21?” Slate Magazine, Slate, 23 Apr. 2013, slate.com/news-and-politics/2013/04/new-york-minimum-smoking-age-why-are-young-people-considered-adults-at-18.html#:~:text=.
Petersen, Neil. “When Childhood ADHD Becomes Adult ADHD.” Psych Central.com, 25 Sept. 2016, blogs.psychcentral.com/adhd-millennial/2016/09/when-childhood-adhd-becomes-adult-adhd/.
Radwan, M. “Do Childhood Experiences Affect Adulthood.” 2KnowMySelf, www.2knowmyself.com/how_childhood_experiences_affect_adulthood.
