why is 18 most commonly seen as when you become an “adult”?

Question

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.

In: 0

Answer 1

Quite simply because it’s what many nations set as their age of majority. This comes with many rights (and responsibilities), and the legal difference it makes is important.

That said, the age is somewhat arbitrary. In times gone past, some countries used 21 as the age of majority. Others use 16.