Age Of Responsibility 
Brittany Liu
Ms. Yamaguchi
English II Honors
12 March 2015
Age of Responsibility
There is an ongoing discussion that is contemplating which age is suitable to be considered an adult. Many believe that sixteen and eighteen year olds are appropriate ages for classification as an adult, though they still attend school and are considered children. Twenty one on the other hand, is a logical age to be entitled an adult for several reasons, supported by
Laurence Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor. “As Steinberg sees it, a teenager’s brain has a welldeveloped accelerator but only a partly developed brake.”(“My Brain
Made Me Do It: Immature Brains Linked to Teen RiskTaking Behavior” p.2) Alan Greenblatt, an author that believes the proper age of adulthood should be twenty one, discusses in an article why it is a more appropriate age, but also how different people with dissimilar intelligent quotients, occupations, and interests have another age in mind. (What is the Age of
Responsibility?” p.8) I believe a person should be categorized as an adult at twentyone years of age. Society believes that twenty one is an appropriate age to start purchasing, possessing, and consuming alcohol because one can handle and understand the consequences and responsibilities substantially better than a teenager can. Alcohol is an abused and misused privilege, therefore not just for anyone. “Alcohol should be forbidden to 18to20 yearolds precisely because they have a propensity to binge drink whether the stiff is illegal or not—especially males. (“Underage
Drinking and the Drinking Age” p.2) Teenagers are more prone to peer pressure to drink, as well, causing more unnecessary accidents, if it is a vehicle related or uncontrollable actions performed. Advocators who believe the age should be lowered will argue that it is absurd people of a younger age can hypothetically die for our country, commit one’s self to another person, and
Ms. Yamaguchi
English II Honors
12 March 2015
Age of Responsibility
There is an ongoing discussion that is contemplating which age is suitable to be considered an adult. Many believe that sixteen and eighteen year olds are appropriate ages for classification as an adult, though they still attend school and are considered children. Twenty one on the other hand, is a logical age to be entitled an adult for several reasons, supported by
Laurence Steinberg, a Temple University psychology professor. “As Steinberg sees it, a teenager’s brain has a welldeveloped accelerator but only a partly developed brake.”(“My Brain
Made Me Do It: Immature Brains Linked to Teen RiskTaking Behavior” p.2) Alan Greenblatt, an author that believes the proper age of adulthood should be twenty one, discusses in an article why it is a more appropriate age, but also how different people with dissimilar intelligent quotients, occupations, and interests have another age in mind. (What is the Age of
Responsibility?” p.8) I believe a person should be categorized as an adult at twentyone years of age. Society believes that twenty one is an appropriate age to start purchasing, possessing, and consuming alcohol because one can handle and understand the consequences and responsibilities substantially better than a teenager can. Alcohol is an abused and misused privilege, therefore not just for anyone. “Alcohol should be forbidden to 18to20 yearolds precisely because they have a propensity to binge drink whether the stiff is illegal or not—especially males. (“Underage
Drinking and the Drinking Age” p.2) Teenagers are more prone to peer pressure to drink, as well, causing more unnecessary accidents, if it is a vehicle related or uncontrollable actions performed. Advocators who believe the age should be lowered will argue that it is absurd people of a younger age can hypothetically die for our country, commit one’s self to another person, and