At 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, July 3, I will officially turn 18 years of age—and as of 12:01 a.m. on that fateful Sunday, I will be a Real Adult. In the United States of America, just like in any other country, we have monumental age thresholds: at 10 you’re double digits, at 13 you’re a teen, at 16 you can drive, and at 18 you’re considered an adult. Of course, there are other special birthdays beyond this point—21, 30, 50, etc.—but in the first two decades of our lives, 18 arguably is the biggest birthday.
Turning 18 has got me contemplating the actual significance of this birthday and what it means for my life. The way it’s made out to sound, I feel as though I will go to sleep on July 2 in a Hello Kitty pajama set with my stuffed animals and wake up on July 3 in a business suit with a jury summons waiting for me in the mailbox. Why is this such a monumental birthday, and what does turning 18 mean to me?
According to Associate Editor, Jennifer Lai, of Slate, 18 is considered the age in which adolescents enter adulthood, mainly because it is that age at which they can vote. In addition to being able to vote, upon turning 18 in America you can legally marry without parental consent, be tried as an adult in court, are entered into the system to be summoned for jury duty, have a nearly unobstructed say over what you decide to do with your body— including smoke, have sex, or have an abortion—and your parents are no longer required to support you financially.
In the realm of legalities, and in the eyes of the United States government, you are an adult at 18, and you are granted a plethora of new opportunities and associations because you are deemed mature enough to accept the responsibility of these new rights as well as responsibility for your own actions. Why is it at 18 that we are granted all of these new rights and have so many expectations and responsibilities allotted to us at once?
Across many ethnicities and cultures, the age of entering adulthood ranges, on average, between the ages of 18 and 21. It is around this age that adolescents begin to take on more responsibility both in their families, in the workforce, and individually, and it seems almost universally recognized to be the time when they transition from being adolescents to adults.
Additionally, around the age of 18 in the United States—and most other countries with K-12 school systems—most adolescents graduate from high school and will either be intent on pursuing college, going straight into the workforce, or taking an agape year to travel or simply find themselves. In the case of most of these possibilities, you are going to need more freedom than you had when you were in high school, and since you will also likely be more independent it makes sense that you should be fully held accountable for your actions and take on more responsibilities in your own life—thus you are granted the title of adult
The process of becoming a true adult, however, doesn’t happen overnight. I will wake up on July 3 still in my Hello Kitty pajama set with a clan of stuffed animals at the end of my bed, and I will go about my life as usual. I will be, by all legal definitions of the word, an adult, but just as I was not instantly a good driver upon turning 16, I will have much developing still to do.
I will recognize the many subtle changes and experiences over the past several years of my life—like learning to drive, becoming confident in my communication skills, and taking on the responsibility of managing my own time and independence—that have helped me develop into the as much of an adult as I am today, but I will also recognize that I have a bit to go until I can truly call myself an adult.
After all, 18 is just a number, and adulthood is less about an age and more about a mental maturity and intelligence. You can be 15 going on 30, or 30 going on 15—I’m sure we all know some teenagers who are more mature and together than some of the adults in our lives. The simple fact of the matter is that people who meet me may not know my age, but they will quickly come to know my personality, and I’d like to think that what’s more important is not the number or title that goes with your name, but the character.
