this post was submitted on 24 Mar 2026
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We're not talking about brain development here. You're well past the age where you're considered a consenting adult, and have (in most cases) been in the work force at least a few years, if not more.
Yeah, but that's the traditional things that are arbitrary. Those decisions weren't really made by scientific consensus, but more by societal needs and norms. In older times you were also considered an adult earlier because that benefitted society at the time.
As we learn more, and as society and its issues changes, so do these agreed upon lines. It's less shameful to continue living at home into older ages because housing markets are harder now, and the brain development thing may not really affect work and the like, but some are arguing that it changes the effect of drugs/alcohol/trauma/life long decisions etc.
Whether this could change how we decide if those ages should affect the items you mention are yet to be seen, but keep in mind stuff like Insurance companies finding people under 25 more risky than above 25. Some industry could argue (probably unsuccessfully) that they may need to move it to 32, or people may start suggesting marriage etc should be later than the 20s, etc.
They're still not talking what you're talking about. They listed a set of specific activities and behaviors they believe 29 year olds engage in to say they're not adults.
They eat children's food, have no money saved, no proper furniture, no hardships, and they ask their parents for advice. (Having parents you respect the opinion of and asking for advice is evidently childish).
That's an extremely patronizing view on 29 year olds.
You're talking brain development studies. That has nothing to do with adulthood.
Ah, my apologies then. I don't agree with the parameters the thread OP defined.
Nah man, you were right. Brain development is an appropriate metric, more so than random laws made by probable pedos. Not sure why the user you responded to said brain development has nothing to do with adulthood. I’d say it’s more sound than whatever we decide at the time because it fits a narrative and benefits our societies (which are still often exploitive)
So do you think 30 year olds should be considered children, legally? Some intermediate thing where they get some rights but not all?
Adulthood, as a human concept as opposed to a strict biological classification, is a medley of biological, legal and social definitions. Do you exist in society independently, or under the explicit social umbrella of your guardian? Do we find you legally capable of bearing guilt? Are you physically mature?
Can you answer those questions with an fMRI? We can estimate age with one, but that just gets back to where we are now. We can measure brain connectivity, which is associated with the frontal cortex properties we associate with responsibility. The inflection point we see is around 15, and the growth rate after that is largely subsumed by the margin of error between individuals. We can also see that the brain doesn't really stop developing those connections.
None of that answers the primary questions of what constitutes adulthood for humans.
Given that the comment thread started with assertions about how 29 year olds act and behave in society and what's to be expected of them responsibility wise, it's clearly a discussion about the social aspects of adulthood, not the biological measurement of brain maturity.
You’re right it’s definitely a nuanced topic where a bunch of questions like this, along with things like the brains development and maturation as a machine into 30-mid 30s would be important to discuss.
All I know is politicians who obviously can’t be trusted make laws that allow the interests of their donors/lobbyists to decide people can drink/smoke their products, go into porn/to war etc. Not an actual interest, understanding and desire to make sure people are allowed their inalienable independence while also “protecting” them.
I also know I was a hopped up lil shit who was more than happy to find my own ways of accessing things only adults should have, after gaining adult status felt like not only me but the people my age around me weren’t capable of realizing the actual repercussions of some of the choices we were making and even now I can’t fathom thinking I’ll be done developing until I hit dementia and/or death.
Maybe what we have now (varies across societies) is best but I’d think if we put our minds to it we could come up with something better. That being said if I feel so inclined to partake & given the option, I’ll still chose a Midwest bar with a 25-30+ age limit over the anyone over 21 option