For instance: age of sexual consent, age for legally drinking alcohol, age for driving, age for voting, age for participating in pornography

Depending on the place, each of those requires a different minimum age. Why is that? Are some activities “more adult” than others? Using USA as an example: legal drinking age is 21, legal driving age is 16, age of consent varies between 16-18.

Not asking about different countries/states having different ages, but any single place having different ages for different adult activities

  • Today@lemmy.world
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    2 years ago

    Yeah, but do you know anyone who waited until 21 to drink alcohol?

    • Fondots@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      I actually did. I have some minor family history of alcoholism, nothing too drastic, but enough that I figured my brain could probably use an extra couple years of development before I pushed my luck on it.

      Don’t know if it actually made any significant difference, but I have a pretty healthy relationship with booze, I’m no teetotaler by a longshot, but I don’t drink to excess except for a small handful of parties a year, and normally go a couple weeks even a month or more between drinking.

      • Today@lemmy.world
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        2 years ago

        Thats amazing. I did not have the awareness at 17 to not drink. I grew up in a house that always had alcohol but drunkenness was pretty rare. Both of my kids struggled with alcohol and figured out pretty early that it could be bad for relationships.

        • digitalgadget@kbin.social
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          2 years ago

          Not who you replied to, but I also had no interest due to excellent role models in my family for what NOT to do. I have had 1 alcoholic beverage my entire life, on my 21st birthday, and it was completely lackluster.

    • jeffw@lemmy.worldM
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      2 years ago

      I do, yeah. I would make them play drinking games with water so they weren’t left out. College a wild ride