How old is an adult? ——Discuss the standards of adulthood from the legal, cultural and social perspectives
Recently, "age of adulthood" has once again become a hot topic on the Internet. As legal adult standards are adjusted in many places around the world, and discussions on "whether the post-2000 generation has matured" are heating up on social media, it is necessary for us to systematically sort out the definition of adulthood in different countries and cultures. This article combines the hotspot data of the entire network in the past 10 days to analyze this issue from multiple dimensions.
1. Comparison of the legal age of majority in major countries around the world
| Country/Region | legal age of majority | special regulations |
|---|---|---|
| China | 18 years old | 16 years old can bear criminal responsibility |
| USA | 18 years old (federal standards) | Drinking age is 21 in each state |
| Japan | 20 years old (before 2022) | Reduced to 18 in April 2022 |
| germany | 18 years old | There are restrictions on drinking under 16 years old |
| iran | 15 years old (male)/9 years old (female) | religious legal standards |
| Scotland | 16 years old | Can get married but requires parental consent |
2. Analysis of Hot Discussion Focus on the Internet
According to social media data monitoring in the past 10 days, relevant discussions mainly focus on the following aspects:
| Topic classification | Discussion popularity | representative view |
|---|---|---|
| age of criminal responsibility | high fever | 82% of netizens support maintaining current standards |
| Marriage autonomy | medium heat | 67% believe that the age limit should be unified to 18 |
| Drinking restrictions | high fever | American netizens are hotly discussing "Is 21 too old?" |
| youth voting rights | low fever | Political activist groups call for lowering age to 16 |
3. Biological and psychological perspectives
The latest research from Harvard University (released in June 2023) shows that the average age at which the prefrontal cortex (responsible for decision-making and judgment) of the human brain fully matures is 25 years old. This explains why many countries have lower legal ages of majority but higher limits in certain areas (such as renting a car or drinking alcohol).
| Capability development | Completion age | Relevant legal implications |
|---|---|---|
| basic cognitive abilities | 14-16 years old | Basis for determination of criminal liability |
| emotional regulation ability | 18-20 years old | Marriage autonomy reference |
| risk assessment capabilities | 22-25 years old | Basis for financial lending restrictions |
4. Typical cases of cultural differences
The Japanese bar mitzvah (originally 20 years old and now 18 years old) is in sharp contrast to the 13-year-old bar mitzvah for Jewish boys. The #ComingOfAge topic on TikTok has been viewed 230 million times in the past seven days, showing the public's strong interest in diverse coming-of-age rituals.
5. Research on the current situation of Chinese society
The latest questionnaire from China Youth Daily (sample size: 100,000+) shows:
| question | Respondents aged 18-24 | Respondents aged 25-35 |
|---|---|---|
| "Does an 18-year-old have full capacity to act?" | 41% agree | 63% agree |
| "Support raising the legal age of majority" | 12% support | 29% support |
| "The age at which you actually feel psychologically mature" | Average age 22.3 | Average age 24.1 |
6. Forecast of future trends
As neuroscience advances, experts predict the possibility of a "graded adulthood" system: some rights (such as limited work) at 16, basic citizenship rights at 18, and full rights (such as drinking) at 21. The Netherlands has piloted a "progressive driving license" that can serve as a reference model.
To sum up, there is no unified answer to "how old is an adult?" There are significant differences between legal definitions, biological development, and social cognition. Perhaps as someone on Weibo said: "Adulthood is not a birthday moment, but the process of learning to be responsible for oneself."
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