• Home Page
  • The Age Of Adulthood In The United States

The Age Of Adulthood In The United States

Improved Essays
Show More
According to the U.S. government, the age of adulthood is eighteen years old. (U.S., 2016) Due to the government and how it regulates laws this affects what is considered being an adult in our nation. The government is the greatest impact on the two phases of life which are adolescence and old age. The government can change these transitions in the life course by changing laws such as voting law and social security. At eighteen in the United States, you can join the military, move out, marry and legally vote. A person that has just finished high school now gains full legal rights and is liable for their own actions even though not much development change has happened from age 17 to 18. Some people do not agree with this age for adulthood and feel as though when a person turns 21 and is able to drink alcohol then they are truly an adult which is also regulated by the government. In my views, I do not believe every person is the same in what age they are cognitively an “adult”. Much like babies do not learn things at the exact same time, I believe people develop and mature at their own rate. Neuroscientists have studied brain maturation and discovered that parts of the brain do not fully mature in the fronto-temporal connections at around 25 years of age. (Lebel, 2008) I agree with the scientists that brain development is key to understanding the rates at which a person reaches peek mature levels and that is well past 18 years …show more content…
. Sharma, S. (2013). Maturation of the adolescent brain. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 9, 449-460. doi:10.2147/NDT.S39776

Lebel, C., Walker, L., Leemans, A., Phillips, L., & Beaulieu, C. (2008). Microstructural maturation of the human brain from childhood to adulthood. Neuroimage, 40(3), 1044-1055. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2007.12.053

U.S. Department of State. When a Child Becomes an Adult. Retrieved January 14, 2016, from

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    The Age Of Responsibility Alan Greenblatt Analysis
    • 127 Words
    • 1 Pages

    The Age Of Responsibility Alan Greenblatt Analysis

    After accumulating responsibility and being able to be independent is when a person truly becomes and adult. Maturity. It's about learning from mistakes and using them to guide them into a better mature person. Their are rules that apply to certain age but that itself could be defective.…

    • 127 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Juveniles And Capitol Punishment Essay
    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Juveniles And Capitol Punishment Essay

    Main Body Recent scientific research through functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown significant changes in adolescent brains which last well into adulthood. For example, there is an increase in white matter in the prefrontal cortex in adolescence which can last well into adulthood.(Steinberg) This development is the last to mature and is important for high order cognitive function like planning head, weighing risks, and making complicated decisions.(Steinberg) This shows that adolescence as well as young…

    • 1507 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Should Age Be Considered An Adult?
    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Should Age Be Considered An Adult?

    And what they’ve found is that in most people, the prefrontal cortex and its links to other regions of the brain are not fully formed until age 25”(Greenblatt par. 5). This quote shows us that at the age of 18 our brain isn’t fully developed, however at the age of 25 it is fully developed which is when the prefrontal cortex links with other parts of the brain which helps with our decision making. So when we’re 25 we can make better decision or when our brain is fully…

    • 786 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Reduce The Drinking Age Essay
    • 1860 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Reduce The Drinking Age Essay

    ”(CDC, 2014). An 18 year old is also considered an adult in the U.S. and is trusted with many life changing responsibilities such as being able to vote, own a gun, and becoming a legal guardian. Reducing the legal…

    • 1860 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Pros And Cons Of Lowering Drinking Age
    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pros And Cons Of Lowering Drinking Age

    Should the drinking age be lowered? I believe if we are adults then we can drink. If we can go into the military at 18 why not be able to drink. Sometimes bad things happen if you go to college with never drinking before. Most parents think we shouldn’t drink because we can get drunk and do stupid things, why not let us make choice.…

    • 426 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How To Lower The Drinking Age To 18 Essay
    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How To Lower The Drinking Age To 18 Essay

    Imagine being an adult eighteen-year-old that just moved from Puerto Rico, where the age of drinking alcohol was eighteen. As you can imagine, after moving to the United States, he was very confused because now he could no longer have access to alcohol. Many people think that the drinking age of 21 should be lowered to eighteen. Others oppose that idea and think that humans are not of the right maturity to consume alcohol within a reasonable manner. When you reach the age of eighteen, you are now considered an adult in the United States, and adults should have the right to make their own decisions about anything and especially about alcohol consumption.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Why The Drinking Age Should Stay At 18
    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Why The Drinking Age Should Stay At 18

    Adults but not adults at the age of 18 How are we adults, if we’re not seen as adults? In the United States, the age of adulthood is 18. At the same time, people are restricted from being able to consume alcohol, in a responsible way. If we are declared adults at 18 we should have the right to decide if we drink or not. The minimum legal drinking age should be lowered to 18 because 18 is the age of adulthood in the United States, you can do everything in the world but you're prohibited to drink, and less laws will be broken because people will be more responsible while making wise choices.…

    • 1219 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Adlerian Psychology: Annotated Bibliography
    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Adlerian Psychology: Annotated Bibliography

    LITERATURE CITED Adlerian Psychology/Psychotherapy. (2014, July 02). Retrieved January 19, 2016 from http://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/ avourab-psychology Albert, J., Gaspar, R., &Raymundo, M. (2015, July 8). Who are the middle class? Retrieved March 20, 2016 from www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/98624-who-are-middle-class Cagadas, J.L. (2012, June 28). The importance of values, morals, and ethics in the Philippine society.…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Drinking Age 21
    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Drinking Age 21

    I think the drinking age should stay the same at 21 because if lowered. Peers would be younger around alcohol, the brain development is not complete, and not mature enough to make good choices when under the influence. First I’ll talk about if the age is lowered and what would happen. If the age is lowered more likely to provide to minors.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Drinking Age Should Be Lowered
    • 2148 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Drinking Age Should Be Lowered

    Laws are carried out for the sole purpose of improving everyday society. Taking this into account, every law that is reformed, is taken into much consideration and is believed to be what is best for the public. Throughout the past couple of years, several debates regarding the minimum drinking age have amounted, thus meaning that this issue is one that cannot be forgotten, instead it should be dealt with immediately. Some might believe that the minimum drinking age should be lowered from 21 to 18 years of age. What those few people are not considering is the fact that decades ago, when the drinking age was lowered…

    • 2148 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Why The Drinking Age Should Stay At 21
    • 1661 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Why The Drinking Age Should Stay At 21

    Lowering Minimum Legal Drinking Age Turning 18 is similar to a rite of passage in today’s society, an entirely new world is opened up once someone is 18 years old. People can now make numerous life-altering decisions because they are legally adults, however, drinking alcohol is not one of these new adult decisions available to 18 year olds. Drinking alcohol is just as life changing as smoking a cigarette; the minimum smoking age is only 18, so why is the drinking age 21? People argue that the drinking age needs to stay at 21 because frontal lobes in the human brain, which control decision making, are not fully developed until 21, if this is true then why is 21 not the mark of adulthood?…

    • 1661 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Analysis Of The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction
    • 241 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Analysis Of The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction

    In The National Institute of Mental Health’s, “The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction” it is explained that the teen brain is still growing physically, intellectually, and hormonally. First, the teenage brain is still growing physically. It is getting larger and becoming more connected to its parts. This is evident when the author writes, “As the brain develops, the fibers connecting nerve cells are wrapped in a protein that greatly increases the speed” (1). The brain grows physically just like the rest of the body.…

    • 241 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    The Legal Drinking Age
    • 1623 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Legal Drinking Age

    The magical number eighteen is when one is considered an adult along with being eligible to vote, get married, join the military, and even purchase tobacco however an eighteen year old is not allowed to purchase or consume alcohol. Thirty years ago the legal drinking age in America was set at eighteen years old , and things regarding alcohol use were okay back then however the only problem was the casualties drunk driving caused. I believe the legal drinking age is past due and America is educated enough to prevent drunk driving and can guide young eligible drinkers to drink responsibly. Having the legal drinking age set at eighteen is actually a lot more convenient and even harmless to society. Although people naturally think otherwise studies…

    • 1623 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Drinking Age Should Stay At 21 Essay
    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Drinking Age Should Stay At 21 Essay

    Research shows that brain development continues well into a person’s twenties. Alcohol can affect this development, and contribute to a range of problems. About 4,358 people under the age of twenty one die each year from alcohol related incidents. Drinking can also cause people to make poor decisions and very risky behavior. Drinking before the brain (the temporal lobe) is fully developed affects the judgement making process, I believe that the national drinking age needs to be raised from twenty one to twenty five; however the drinking age shouldn’t legally stay at twenty one.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Drinking Age To 18 Research Paper
    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Drinking Age To 18 Research Paper

    Eighteen is considered adulthood, yet, at this age one is still not treated as such. When one turns eighteen, they become a legal adult, and receive their rights, except the right to consume alcohol legally. The drinking age in the United States is currently set at twenty-one. But, some people believe that twenty-one is too high for the minimum age and, think it should be lower. There are others who feel that twenty-one is a decent, mature age, and lowering it would encourage young to take part in alcohol consumption.…

    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings