Is a 16-year old an adult?

[Gaze]

There seems to be so many contradictory messages about the teen years or young adult years. On one hand, you're told that you're still quite young, but on the other you are given rights or privileges to make significant adult decisions. On one hand, you are treated as still a child in some respects, but yet expected to act or think like an adult.While watching the Olympics, womens gymnastics, it hit me that for techical purposes, a 15 or 16 year old for competition purposes is considered a woman. Now, this age has always had an odd social history. It's often considered the age of consent or that age where a girl becomes a woman, yet in our culture, we often treat 16 as a "teen" or as an underdeveloped young adult who has years to go before achieving maturity. But ironically, growing up in the Caribbean, 16 was an age of maturity. Most graduated high school by 16. So, our sense of self was not as young adults who are still kids just learning about the world. We were expected to be mature, adult, responsible women at that age even if we didn't have social or financial independence. This is the case in many African and Asian countries. I only mention this as a cultural example of different perceptions of age in on particular culture.



So, what do you think of the age of 16?

 

[Trifoilum]

[video=youtube;IlV7RhT6zHs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlV7RhT6zHs[/video]

I think there should / would be a gradual step into adulthood and maturity-- and for most, 16 is the first step; not the last.
Of course, some are farther / closer to the finish line than others.

Culturally-- true, there are differences as well.

 

[Vict]

Sure.

 

[5r6jhd]

I always find this argument really difficult to process. I can see it from all angles and all the potential problems.

Personally I think its all or nothing. You don't learn without consequences. I think there should be a set age of adulthood, if you get me, whether that be 16, 18, 21....

Personally, I find the legal age of 21 a bit too much.

What if they made the age of adulthood 17? You could do whatever you wanted at 17, but you would also be expected to completely act like an adult and accept all consequences that go along with it. Kids these days grow up too fast, but they're also far too babied...

 

[Gaze]

Personally I think its all or nothing. You don't learn without consequences. I think there should be a set age of adulthood, if you get me, whether that be 16, 18, 21....

Personally, I find the legal age of 21 a bit too much.

What if they made the age of adulthood 17? You could do whatever you wanted at 17, but you would also be expected to completely act like an adult and accept all consequences that go along with it. Kids these days grow up too fast, but they're also far too babied...

yeah, that's why I was curious about this, because I agree that there should be a set age that we use to differentiate adults from teens or children. But I think the age of 16 is so stereotyped or subject to too many conditionalities as far as consent and responsibility. For example, a 16 year old gets consent from her parents to marry a man in his 40s or 50s, or teens get consent to marry their bf or gfs both at 16. They are legally allowed to get married but yet they are considered far too young to understand or be aware enough of the responsibilities. They are still considered too innocent, a concept which is often used to define the difference between children or teens and adults. It's funny you mention 17 because although it's one age higher, it often seems that people are more willing to accept calling a 17 year old a woman than one who is 16. People are far more respectful of a 17 year old's decisions than one who is 16. But what's the difference?

My question is in essence about how age is seen so arbitrarily depending on the social expectations of a culture.

Of course, I'm not going to suggest that a 16 year old should get married and have kids or even have sex at that age. There are so many aspects to maturity that someone of that age doesn't understand yet and woudn't until they get older. But I am wondering how does a 16 year old today process growing up when the messages are so mixed from parents, to the law, to peers, to the larger world?

 

[JGirl]

at 16 i had already been on my own for two years. that didn't however make me a woman. it made me grow up before my time is all
to me, becoming a woman is a rite of passage and there is no specific age when that happens. it's a culmination of physical and psychological maturity, experiences and sexuality. (i don't necessarily mean 'sex')

being a teen is such a difficult time because it's like you are between two worlds. you're not a kid and you're not yet a full fledged adult. it seems contradictory, but if you look at each new responsibility or priviledge as a step forward you can also see that when the reins are being pulled back on you it's because you haven't reached that stage yet. each step in it's turn.

as a side note, i really can't stand when the media picks and chooses when a teenage girl will be a child or an adult based on what the news piece is about.
did i just rant? oops sorry lol

 

[Soulful]

No, not in North American culture, imo.

I don't think a 16 year old girl is ready to fully engage in the consequences and privileges of what it means to be a woman in this culture and in this day and age. However, I do think 16 year old females do already partially partake in womanhood. I'm not sure if it's a great thing, but perhaps there is something beneficial about entering into womanhood through transition. Being able to partake in some aspects of it while still hopefully having the cushioning of being regarded as a minor legally and socially. Our culture does not prime them to become adults by the age of 16, and therefore I would be inclined to still view them as adolescent females at that age.

I do wish we could protect our kids more from some aspects of our culture. I think they are too sheltered in some ways, and overly exposed/unprotected in others.

There is also a lot of research done on the adolescent brain, and I believe those kinds of studies would be very instrumental to the topic of this kind of discussion. I think kids are very adaptable, and they will find a way to make things work whether we thrust adulthood on them earlier or later. But I think it would be interesting and important to consider the neurological information that we have available, and to study the brain as a way of gaining further insight into what is definitely an important topic.

But perhaps for the sake of discussion, we could define what "woman" means. What does it mean to be a woman? What defines "woman"?

 

[Gaze]

a

as a side note, i really can't stand when the media picks and chooses when a teenage girl will be a child or an adult based on what the news piece is about.
did i just rant? oops sorry lol

agree, too much inconsistency.

No, not in North American culture, imo.

I don't think a 16 year old girl is ready to fully engage in the consequences and privileges of what it means to be a woman in this culture and in this day and age. However, I do think 16 year old females do already partially partake in womanhood. I'm not sure if it's a great thing, but perhaps there is something beneficial about entering into womanhood through transition. Being able to partake in some aspects of it while still hopefully having the cushioning of being regarded as a minor legally and socially. Our culture does not prime them to become adults by the age of 16, and therefore I would be inclined to still view them as adolescent females at that age.

I do wish we could protect our kids more from some aspects of our culture. I think they are too sheltered in some ways, and overly exposed/unprotected in others.

There is also a lot of research done on the adolescent brain, and I believe those kinds of studies would be very instrumental to the topic of this kind of discussion. I think kids are very adaptable, and they will find a way to make things work whether we thrust adulthood on them earlier or later. But I think it would be interesting and important to consider the neurological information that we have available, and to study the brain as a way of gaining further insight into what is definitely an important topic.

But perhaps for the sake of discussion, we could define what "woman" means. What does it mean to be a woman? What defines "woman"?

I agree, without restricting or diminishing who a female is or should be, maybe we need to reconsider how we understand being a 'woman'. One thing which is fairly consistent is that connotations of "woman" usually imply sexual, social, emotional maturity along with personal independence. Add to that the concept of woman assumes adulthood which implies personal and social awareness or understanding of actions, consequences, and accountability. But that's an ideal. I'm not sure how many of us actually would fit this definition once we've passed young adulthood.

 

[5r6jhd]

I just think its really complicated. There are an insane amount of inconsistencies. I had to grow up a lot faster than I should have, it's been difficult...but there are some merits to it.

 

[Lemonworld]

It saddens me when I see young girls acting like they are already adults. I have a cousin who is nine and every time I see her she is dressed like an adult and wearing make-up and talking about love and heartbreak. It's unsettling to watch. I think popular culture instils that kind of mentality in young women - that inexperience and naivety is shameful. So there's this weird incongruence between cultural values and legal age. Don't act like a child and yet retain your dignity; have legal independence but don't abuse the moral privilege. Confusing, confusing...

And then there is the whole question of what constitutes being a woman. Part of me feels like I will never fully mature into womanhood unless I have a child. In that sense a teenage mother is probably capable of feeling a greater sense of womanhood than I do now in my mid-twenties.

 

[Gaze]

In addition, just because we're given the label "woman" at a particular age doesn't really mean we fit or are ready for the label and the responsibility which comes with it. I was closer to 13 emotionally at 16 than I would be at 18. And even at 18, my level of emotional awareness or understanding was low. So, to call myself a woman at that age was quite unrealistic. Simply because the expectations of maturity were doesn't mean I was anywhere close to understanding what it meant to be woman. I don't even think being a woman fully hit me until I was 30. So, I don't necessarily think 16 year olds are full fledged women or adults. However, each person is different. I think kids today grow up faster, experience more socially and sexually at an earlier age, and probable can't be expected to act or behave like unaware innocents. Not realistic for the age we live in. But on the other hand, as someone already said, teens are over overexposed to too much too soon, and that exposure or awareness can lead to feeling that one is ready or able to handle things that they're really not ready for. But then who decides who is ready for what? I'm sure many have mixed feelings about what teens are or aren't capable of handling.

 

[lenina]

i think when you are able to get pregnant or impregnate, then you are an adult. whether it is a nice thing or not, or ideal or not. it just is. at that point your life can take many turns, and your decisions can have significant consequences. i think whether someone is ready or not, they should be treated like an adult at that stage, and learn to be ready along the way. i dont think they should move out and drop out of school. but i do think that at sexual maturity "kids" should be held responsible for fully participating in household chores, not just cleaning their own bedroom, get a part time job, not allowance, and they should be focused on getting good grades. school should be considered their "full time job". with all this higher education it's like people think that they have a right to behave like a child the whole time they are in school, but here's the thing, a degree is not kindergarten. it's not a way to entertain yourself. it's a responsible way to ensure the stability of your future.

times have changes a lot, just in WW2 there were stories of kids faking their age, pretending they are 16, just so they can go to war. Dani on Full House turned 30 during the show, i remember the episode. he already had a career and 3 daughters THEN he turned 30. if Full House aired in this decade, Dani's character would need to be over 40.

part of the reason that 16 isnt considered that old anymore is cuz is doesnt have to be. you can be in school till you late 20s, having ur first kid in your 30s, playing video games in your 40s, all cuz life is safer now and there is a lot of stability.

i think 16 years olds are not young or immature, we just dont let them grow up. we've become accustomed to modern comforts, and i think ultimately humanity as a whole is worse off extending childhood so late into life.

 

[acd]

God no. It's adolescence- a transition stage between childhood and adulthood. Which is why you still have guardians and caregivers but are given more and more responsibility as you prove fit to handle it..usually, if you're fortunate to have a family that provides that kind of guidance.
But physical maturity doesn't mean mental maturity.

 

[the]

Absolutely is a woman.

 

[Gaze]

Absolutely is a woman.

could you elaborate?

 

[Brodskizzle]

could you elaborate?

He's clearly trying to rationalize the feelings he had after seeing some of those gymnasts. In all honesty, I am 16 and I think that without a doubt we're children. I think that, out on my own, I'd last maybe a few hours, tops, before imploding.

 

[the]

could you elaborate?

Basically what lenina said.

Generally speaking I mean. There are probably some who still havent hit puberty for whatever reason.

 

[SlowUpTake]

One of the great benefits of the scientific/technological revolution of the first world counties has been the extension of that period which precedes adulthood. It could be that one of the reasons that humans embarked on this path was to have more time to develop, As a result we have different rates of psychological maturation based on the socio/economic situations. For most of the people who have access to this site, and those who they are likely to interact with, 16 is not a woman. (nor is 18 in most cases()

personally, I think girls mature faster than boys but it takes longer to become a woman than it does to become a man. I also think that more females become women then males become men.

 

[Trifoilum]

I think it would be a good thing to remember that IINM, the concept of adulthood (especially for women) is basically based on WHEN you are capable of having child, baaaack then. Sansa's trouble in Game of Thrones sure comes to mind.... when she had her first period, she could conceive and therefore she's an adult; fair game.

And while the implication does not hang, the (fairly young) age sure does.

 

[Apone]

Adulthood in general is sort of relative to the culture and the demands placed upon a person. I think you can be 40 and still not be an adult. I once met a woman who married a rich old businessman when she was in her teens and he was in his 40s… she had this aura of never having grown up.

I don't think that such things tend to happen to guys very often, but to be honest I don't even think that I was an adult until a few years ago, and even then, not really… I guess because I've never had a family or a house or a car… and I still like Batman, and my avatar is a gif of Megaman instead of, I don't know, a picture of my garden or something.