Is The Age Of Responsibility More Than A Birthday

Is the Age of Responsibility More Than a Birthday? How many times have you been told that you were not old enough to do something? Or maybe you are expected to act like an adult, but you are sometimes treated like a child. Many teenagers are experiencing this same frustration. Most people around the world have already accepted that eighteen is the age in which teenagers technically become adults. However, these ‘adults’ are not even allowed to drink alcohol for another three years. Why is that so? Why do eighteen year olds have to wait another three years to do something other adults can already do? Should teens not be able to prove their maturity through a series of tests that would indicate so? After all, everyone develops differently. For …show more content…
As a result, presidents of 135 universities are petitioning for the drinking age to be lowered from 21. They argue that if the drinking age was lowered, maybe the students would be prompted to drink more responsibly. (Greenblatt 1) This may seem counterintuitive, but it might actually work. If teens believe that what they are doing is legal, they might be moved to make better and more reasonable choices. Some may argue that by lowering the drinking age, you would also be inviting even younger people to drink. However, the average underage drinker only drinks because of peer pressure. The pressure to drink doesn’t normally occur until kids reach high school. There would be no reason for underage kids to drink. Parents know the laws, and it would be pretty hard for a 12 year old to obtain alcohol without parental …show more content…
Growing up is a process, so it should be treated like one. Instead of having several birthdays that represent different milestones leading to adult life, why not gradually prove yourself worthy of gaining more freedom and responsibility when you feel ready? Some professionals are regulated “based on the competence requirements of their professions.” (Greenblatt 5) If people in the real world have similar systems of proving competence, why not teens? Teens should be able to somehow prove that they are responsible or mature enough to do certain tasks. Tests have been proven effective in ranging student comprehension in the school systems. They could possibly do the same in ranging maturity. Growing up shouldn’t be about waiting a number of years before you can unlock some door that will lead you into adulthood. It should be about taking your time to observe and learn about the world around you, then stepping into the real world when you feel like you are ready. Growing up is about absorbing and taking in lessons that will guide you in life, not about when you get to drive or when you get to drink. It occurs naturally, in a process. Most will agree that you don’t just grow up at the strike of a birthday, but you mature over a period of time to finally become an