Experts Say At 18 We Are Not Adults And That Number Should Be Raised

Fifty is the new 40, Forty is the new 30, well 18 may not be the new adult.

Psychologists are being advised to consider 25 the new cut-off point for adolescence. I don't know about you but just watching the neighbors was all the research I needed.  However there are new guidelines being put in place due to current research that suggests brain and hormonal developement is still happening in a big way between the ages of 18 and 25. 

Based on this new information, experts say expecting kids to be ready for adult life at 18 is unreasonable and could lead to young people falling through the cracks in the health and education systems.  

One of the reasons might just be because as parents we want what's best for our children, we want them to have what we didn't, and we want to give them a trophy even though they didn't win the game.  Coupled with trying to keep up with the Jone's ourselves, which takes away from parenting, we have created a generation that simply doesn't feel as though they have to mature and also has this inner belief that they are entitled.  

It would be exciting to have brain scans of humans 18-years-old from fifty years ago to compare to brain scans of today's 18-year-olds.  I wonder what would be the findings?  One would be thinking about putting peanuts in a Coke and the other, how many hits the last Facebook post received.  My things have changed haven't they?

At what age do you think childhood ends and people become young adults?

[Via:  BBC News]