Is it just because that’s when you’re done with high school? College is still fairly “expected”, so why isn’t that counted?
I don’t understand why most/a lot of cultures view 18 as that turning point, even though we know the brain isn’t even fully developed until 25.
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College being expected is a recent thing. Knowledge of brain development is also a recent thing.
The specific age is largely arbitrary but something had to be picked. By 18 most humans are done with physical outward growth. They are fully capable of doing adult tasks and performing at adult work levels. Before modern MRI scans and such there is nothing to distinguish most 18 years olds from those at 30. But in many cases a 16 year old is noticeably different from that 30 year old. Until recently by 18 people were often getting married, setting up their own households and having children. It hard to claim someone with children is legally still a child except under unusual circumstances. All this combines to a good break point between childhood and adulthood.
There is also the effect of standardization. Once one jurisdiction picks 18 its hard for others to use some other age. Can’t have an 18 year old in on state or country traveling to another state or country and all of sudden being a minor again. Or 16 year olds becoming adults when traveling.
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