When are you actually an adult? - Shannon Odell
Most countries recognize 18
as the start of adulthood
by granting various freedoms
and privileges.
But is age the best way
to measure maturity?
I was born 12:05 AM on November 6th—
5 minutes short of being eligible
to vote in the election tomorrow.
Meanwhile, your big brother— yours truly—
was born 15 minutes earlier,
so I can vote.
It’s arbitrary and unfair!
The voting age should be lowered to 16!
I firmly disagree!
No way 16-year-olds are mature enough to
make decisions with national consequences.
I’m eligible and I don’t even know
who’s running.
Meanwhile, I know the candidates
inside and out.
She's obsessed with politics.
Exactly! If 16-year-olds aren’t mature
enough to vote,
then by that same logic,
they shouldn’t be allowed to drive.
I firmly disagree!
I’m an excellent driver!
And I’ve never gotten a ticket,
unlike some people.
That’s so unfair!
That stop sign was hidden by a tree.
I think you both make valid points.
And questioning the age limits
of adulthood is well warranted.
Some countries have lowered
the voting age to 16,
and cultural coming-of-age ceremonies are
often celebrated at different ages.
As there seems to be no consensus
on exactly when we reach maturity,
perhaps science can give
us a clearer answer.
One way neuroscientists have looked
to define adulthood
is by when the brain is fully grown.
Brain development involves
two trajectories.
First, there's a reduction in gray matter.
Gray matter consists
of cells and connections
that facilitate communication
at short ranges,
creating dense,
information-processing hubs.
While a reduction may seem
like a bad thing,
what’s happening is a selective pruning.
Connections that are used
are kept and strengthened,
while under-used ones are weeded away,
creating a brain that is both fine-tuned
to its environment and energy efficient.
This gray matter reduction coincides
with an increase in white matter.
White matter refers to connections
that are myelinated,
coated in a layer of insulation,
allowing for fast far-range communication
between information hubs.
For example, these paths connect
regions that signal
the pleasure of immediate reward
with regions that help us plan ahead,
allowing us to make more balanced,
forward-thinking decisions.
Imaging studies show that
white and gray matter volumes
undergo drastic changes
during adolescence,
and continuing through your twenties.
But the brain’s journey
is far from finished,
as various experiences continue
to reshape its connections
throughout your lifetime.
So brain structure alone
may not give us our answer.
Another way scientists have tried
to define adulthood
is by measuring cognitive development—
when are you able to learn
and complete mental tasks
at the same efficiency as older adults?
By this definition, adulthood may begin
as early as 16,
as teens perform just as well on tests
that assess reasoning,
problem-solving and critical thinking.
Though capable of making smart,
well-informed decisions,
teens may be more susceptible
to external pressures.
Studies show that when performing risk-
taking and self-control related tasks,
18 to 21 year olds behave
much like older adults.
But when these tests include
an emotional element—
such as utilizing self-control
when identifying fearful faces—
or a social element—
such as making a decision
in the presence of a friend—
different patterns emerge.
Under these influences, 18 to 21 year olds
tend to behave more like younger teens,
and their brains show
younger-teen-like patterns of activity.
In other words, during your
teens and early twenties,
your brain is wired to place more
value and attention
on social and emotional elements.
This allows emerging adults to better
explore their identities
and connect with others,
but may also create more vulnerability
to negative peer influence
and rash heat of the moment decisions.
For this reason, many scientists argue
that judicial systems
should expand juvenile courts to include
those in their late teens
and early twenties,
as current systems fail to recognize
how the emerging adult brain
is still changing.
So when are you actually an adult?
As you can see,
there is no exact age or moment
in development that we can point to.
Instead, neuroscience suggests
that there are waves of maturity.
As different brain regions and mental
abilities mature at different times,
so do different adult-like
states and behaviors.
Not everyone will reach each wave
of maturity at the same age.
Each person’s journey
to adulthood is unique,
influenced by genetics, environment,
and experience.
