The Age Of Responsibility by Alan Greenblatt Article Analysis

There Is big controversy on what age should be the “age of responsibility”. The ages argued may be 18, 21, or even 25.  When should the age of responsibility be? In The Age of Responsibility by Alan Greenblatt it mentions the effects of having a certain age, the age of responsibility.  Although it should be greatly considered, I believe that the age of responsibility should be the age 21 instead of 18 because not all 18-year-olds may have the understanding of being an adult or responsible. 

In Alan Greenblatt's article, he discusses the different ages of adulthood ,but they aren't his defenses. Although he does mention his opinion and commentary every once in a while. Once you reach a certain age you are allowed to do certain things. Such as obtaining a license and even working a job at the age of 16. At 18, you are allowed to live on your own, vote, and even get a piercing and tattoo without parental consent! At the age of 21 you're authorized to drink and/or serve alcohol, smoke marijuana, can purchase and own a firearm, and even gamble. The two ages 18 and 21 open a whole new world of laws for the people of those ages.

Firstly, even if the prefrontal cortex isn’t fully developed at the age of 21, it doesn't mean or make that 21 year old irresponsible. Yes there are some 21-year-olds where they are irresponsible but there are 25-year-olds whose prefrontal cortex are fully developed and act irresponsible as well. For instance there was a recent situation where a teacher dressed up in a Native American outfit and chanted “Soh Cah Toa” which is a math phrase and danced around acting as if she was a Native American chanting and stomping. Mimicking their culture. Considering the fact that she is a teacher she must be older than 25 and know what's right and what's wrong. She is old enough to know that what she did was inappropriate and considering that fact she is a teacher she should know that cultural appropriation is very offensive and hurtful for people from those communities. Although her prefrontal cortex is fully developed she still made an immature decision and it became a big issue over social media that has upset many people. Some may argues that the age of responsibility should be lowered to the age of 18 because they are technically an adult and are now allowed to do certain things that anyone younger than 18 can’t do. According to The Age of Responsibility by Alan Greenblatt, “For example, the presidents of 135 universities are campaigning to consider lowering the drinking age from 21.”(5) But I disagree, if the drinking age is lowered yes that’ll be fun for teens but may be dangerous. Meaning that since alcohol is more accessible to teens, drunk driving accidents can be increased. Nonetheless, if the drinking age is lowered, alcohol addiction is more likely to increase.

Secondly, the age of responsibility is a very heavy topic since there is a big thought process involved. At the age of 18 it is hard to believe that we are responsible to take on the serious responsibilities of an adult. Whether it be lowered, raising or even keeping the age of responsibility the same as it is right now. The age should be an age where the teens transition into adulthood, and they are ready to handle responsibility and act as a proper adult. According to the article, The Age of Responsibility by Alan Greenblatt, “The fact that every person is different and develops at his own pace doesn’t make the creation of policy any easier”(29) This is why it is harder to pick an age of responsibility because  everyone is different and matures at different times. Not everyone will be mature or responsible at the same time. For example, there are kids/teens who really take their class and homework seriously but there's that one student who doesn't care, doesn't do his homework and is immature during the class time. Some teens may not know the importance of understanding the importance and safety of being in the driver's seat, and they only look at their driver's license as something to show off.  I learned in my drivers ed class that a teenager is three times more likely to cause a car accident just because they may be less experienced in driving, or choose to goof off instead of taking driving seriously as it should be taken. Driving is not a joke, it is a privilege to be able to legally drive a car. Truthfully a car should be considered a weapon considering the dangers of driving if no extra safety precaution is taken. To avoid any inconsistency in ages the driving age should be changed to 21 year old.

Thirdly, I strongly believe that 21 year old should be the age of responsibility since they tend to have matured and learned to be more responsible. Not only responsible for cleaning, doing chores but also making certain decisions, knowing what is right and what is wrong. As a teen who is about to get her permit and can start driving on the road I know the danger of not being attentive to the road. I know that I can’t just listen to loud music and have long conversations while driving like my parents because I’m not experienced like them. Since the age of 18 is eligible to vote in presidential elections, teens can be biased and depend on who others vote or through social media without taking careful consideration and making a decision on their own. According to The Age of Responsibility, “Their brains may not always make the best judgments about how fast to drive at night or in the rain.”(36) He is explaining that since they are younger their brain may not allow them to realize how fast to go in the rain or nighttime. I have experienced this, not even raining or during the night but in broad daylight in the parking lot. I didn’t realize how fast I was driving.  If the Age of Responsibility is an older age maybe teens won't feel so pressured to grow up and mature so quickly but mature at a steady pace. I’m not saying teens shouldn't start to mature until they are 21, but they should slowly start maturing and acting as an adult as they get to the age of 21. Teens should be taught maturity and responsibility in their household whether it is doing chores, picking up after themselves, taking care of siblings, or even walking a dog. Maturity and responsibility should be taught throughout a lifetime not at just a certain age.

To conclude, the age of responsibility should be raised to age 21 because there are fewer risks due to the fact that 21-year-olds tend to be more mature than an 18-year-old. They understand what it means to be an adult and act responsibly. Raising the age can decrease the risk of any accidents. Knowing that teens' brains may not be able to realize when to drive through certain situations, it is best to raise the age since 21-year-olds may understand when and how to drive in certain conditions to decrease and prevent teen death accidents. 21 year old is a considerably good age for the Age of Responsibility because many laws are set at that age anyway.