When are you actually an adult? - Shannon Odell
Summary
TLDRThe video script explores the concept of adulthood and the debate over the appropriate age for granting certain freedoms and responsibilities. It discusses the arbitrary nature of age-based criteria, such as the voting age, and the varying maturity levels among individuals. The script delves into neuroscience, explaining how brain development, particularly the changes in gray and white matter, correlates with cognitive development and maturity. It highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all answer to when someone becomes an adult, as this is influenced by a combination of genetics, environment, and personal experiences.
Takeaways
- 📊 Most countries define 18 as the age of adulthood, granting various freedoms and privileges.
- 🗳️ There is a debate about whether age is the best measure of maturity, especially regarding the right to vote.
- 🎉 Some individuals argue for lowering the voting age to 16, while others believe 16-year-olds are not mature enough for such responsibilities.
- 🚗 The script uses driving as an analogy to discuss maturity, with differing opinions on the capabilities of younger individuals.
- 🧠 Neuroscientists have attempted to define adulthood through brain development, focusing on the maturation of gray and white matter.
- 🌐 Gray matter reduction in the brain is a process of selective pruning, strengthening used connections and eliminating under-used ones.
- 🔗 White matter in the brain increases, allowing for fast, long-range communication between different regions, aiding in decision-making.
- 📉 Brain imaging studies show significant changes in gray and white matter volumes during adolescence and into the twenties.
- 🧐 Cognitive development is another way scientists define adulthood, with some suggesting it begins as early as 16 based on reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
- 💔 Emotional and social influences can affect decision-making in young adults, causing them to behave more like younger teens under certain conditions.
- 🏛 Some scientists argue for the expansion of juvenile courts to include late teens and early twenties due to the ongoing changes in the brain during this period.
- 🌊 Neuroscience suggests that maturity comes in waves, with different abilities and behaviors maturing at different times, influenced by genetics, environment, and experience.
Q & A
What is the common age recognized by most countries as the start of adulthood?
-Most countries recognize 18 as the start of adulthood, by granting various freedoms and privileges.
Why does the speaker argue that the voting age should be lowered to 16?
-The speaker argues that the voting age should be lowered to 16 because they believe that age is an arbitrary and unfair measure of maturity.
What is the speaker's counterargument against lowering the voting age to 16?
-The counterargument is that 16-year-olds are not mature enough to make decisions with national consequences.
How does the speaker's sibling justify their eligibility to vote despite being only 15 minutes older?
-The sibling justifies their eligibility by stating that they were born 15 minutes earlier, which makes them old enough to vote in the upcoming election.
What is the scientific approach to defining adulthood according to the script?
-The scientific approach to defining adulthood involves looking at brain development, including the reduction of gray matter and the increase in white matter.
What is the role of gray matter in brain development?
-Gray matter consists of cells and connections that facilitate short-range communication, creating dense information-processing hubs. Its reduction during development is a selective pruning process that strengthens used connections and weeds out under-used ones.
What does white matter in the brain refer to and what is its function?
-White matter refers to myelinated connections that allow for fast, far-range communication between information hubs in the brain.
How do imaging studies show the changes in the brain during adolescence?
-Imaging studies show that both white and gray matter volumes undergo drastic changes during adolescence and continue through the twenties.
What cognitive development milestone might indicate the start of adulthood according to some scientists?
-According to some scientists, adulthood may begin as early as 16, as teens perform just as well on tests that assess reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
How do emotional and social elements influence the behavior of 18 to 21 year olds during cognitive tasks?
-When cognitive tasks include an emotional or social element, 18 to 21 year olds tend to behave more like younger teens, showing younger-teen-like patterns of brain activity.
Why do some scientists argue for the expansion of juvenile courts to include those in their late teens and early twenties?
-Scientists argue for this expansion because current systems fail to recognize that the emerging adult brain is still changing and is more susceptible to social and emotional influences.
What does the script suggest about the uniqueness of an individual's journey to adulthood?
-The script suggests that each person's journey to adulthood is unique and influenced by genetics, environment, and experience, with different brain regions and mental abilities maturing at different times.
Outlines
🗳️ The Debate on the Age of Adulthood and Voting Rights
This paragraph introduces a debate on whether age is an appropriate measure of maturity, particularly in relation to the right to vote. The script presents a hypothetical scenario where two siblings, born just minutes apart, have different eligibility to vote due to their birth times. It highlights the arbitrary nature of the current age limits and the differing views on whether 16-year-olds are mature enough to vote. The paragraph also touches on the idea that maturity might be better assessed through cognitive development rather than age alone.
🧠 Brain Development and the Quest for Defining Adulthood
The paragraph delves into the scientific approach to defining adulthood, focusing on brain development. It explains the reduction of gray matter and the increase in white matter as key developmental trajectories. The script describes how gray matter reduction is a selective pruning process that strengthens used connections and weeds out under-used ones, leading to an energy-efficient and fine-tuned brain. The increase in white matter, which facilitates fast communication between different brain regions, is also discussed. The paragraph further explores how these changes in brain structure continue into one's twenties and how they might influence cognitive abilities and decision-making.
🧐 Cognitive Development and the Timing of Adulthood
This section examines cognitive development as a potential marker for adulthood. It suggests that by the age of 16, teenagers may perform as well as adults on tests measuring reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking. However, the paragraph also points out that teenagers might be more susceptible to external pressures and emotional or social influences, which can affect their decision-making. The script discusses how 18 to 21-year-olds behave similarly to older adults in certain tasks but exhibit younger-teen-like patterns when emotions or social elements are involved. It concludes by arguing that the judicial system should consider the ongoing changes in the brain during late teens and early twenties when determining legal responsibility.
🌊 The Waves of Maturity and the Unique Journey to Adulthood
The final paragraph emphasizes that there is no single age or moment that universally defines adulthood. It suggests that maturity comes in waves, with different brain regions and mental abilities maturing at different times. The script acknowledges the uniqueness of each individual's journey to adulthood, influenced by genetics, environment, and personal experiences. It concludes by stating that the concept of adulthood is not fixed but rather a fluid and evolving process.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Adulthood
💡Maturity
💡Voting Age
💡Gray Matter
💡White Matter
💡Brain Development
💡Cognitive Development
💡Risk-Taking
💡Self-Control
💡Emotional Element
💡Social Element
💡Neuroscience
Highlights
Most countries recognize 18 as the start of adulthood, granting various freedoms and privileges.
The debate on whether age is the best way to measure maturity is raised.
An example illustrates the arbitrariness of the voting age, with two individuals born minutes apart having different eligibility.
A proposal to lower the voting age to 16 is introduced.
Opposition argues that 16-year-olds may not be mature enough for decisions with national consequences.
A counterpoint highlights the lack of political knowledge even among eligible voters.
The comparison between maturity for voting and driving is made, with disagreement on the maturity of 16-year-olds.
Neuroscience is suggested as a potential clearer measure of adulthood than age.
Brain development is described with two trajectories: reduction in gray matter and increase in white matter.
Gray matter reduction is explained as a selective pruning process that strengthens used connections.
White matter increase allows for fast, far-range communication between brain regions.
Imaging studies show significant brain changes during adolescence and continuing into the twenties.
Cognitive development suggests adulthood may begin as early as 16 in terms of reasoning and problem-solving.
Teens are found to be more susceptible to external pressures and emotional elements when making decisions.
The argument that judicial systems should consider the ongoing development of the brain in late teens and early twenties.
There is no exact age or moment that defines adulthood; it is a wave of maturity with different timelines for different abilities.
Each person's journey to adulthood is unique, influenced by genetics, environment, and experience.
Transcripts
Most countries recognize 18 as the start of adulthood
by granting various freedoms and privileges.
But is age the best way to measure maturity?
I was born 12:05 AM on November 6th—
5 minutes short of being eligible to vote in the election tomorrow.
Meanwhile, your big brother— yours truly—
was born 15 minutes earlier, so I can vote.
It’s arbitrary and unfair!
The voting age should be lowered to 16!
I firmly disagree!
No way 16-year-olds are mature enough to make decisions with national consequences.
I’m eligible and I don’t even know who’s running.
Meanwhile, I know the candidates inside and out.
She's obsessed with politics.
Exactly! If 16-year-olds aren’t mature enough to vote,
then by that same logic, they shouldn’t be allowed to drive.
I firmly disagree! I’m an excellent driver!
And I’ve never gotten a ticket, unlike some people.
That’s so unfair! That stop sign was hidden by a tree.
I think you both make valid points.
And questioning the age limits of adulthood is well warranted.
Some countries have lowered the voting age to 16,
and cultural coming-of-age ceremonies are often celebrated at different ages.
As there seems to be no consensus on exactly when we reach maturity,
perhaps science can give us a clearer answer.
One way neuroscientists have looked to define adulthood
is by when the brain is fully grown.
Brain development involves two trajectories.
First, there's a reduction in gray matter.
Gray matter consists of cells and connections
that facilitate communication at short ranges,
creating dense, information-processing hubs.
While a reduction may seem like a bad thing,
what’s happening is a selective pruning.
Connections that are used are kept and strengthened,
while under-used ones are weeded away,
creating a brain that is both fine-tuned to its environment and energy efficient.
This gray matter reduction coincides with an increase in white matter.
White matter refers to connections that are myelinated,
coated in a layer of insulation,
allowing for fast far-range communication between information hubs.
For example, these paths connect regions that signal
the pleasure of immediate reward with regions that help us plan ahead,
allowing us to make more balanced, forward-thinking decisions.
Imaging studies show that white and gray matter volumes
undergo drastic changes during adolescence,
and continuing through your twenties.
But the brain’s journey is far from finished,
as various experiences continue to reshape its connections
throughout your lifetime.
So brain structure alone may not give us our answer.
Another way scientists have tried to define adulthood
is by measuring cognitive development—
when are you able to learn and complete mental tasks
at the same efficiency as older adults?
By this definition, adulthood may begin as early as 16,
as teens perform just as well on tests
that assess reasoning, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Though capable of making smart, well-informed decisions,
teens may be more susceptible to external pressures.
Studies show that when performing risk- taking and self-control related tasks,
18 to 21 year olds behave much like older adults.
But when these tests include an emotional element—
such as utilizing self-control when identifying fearful faces—
or a social element—
such as making a decision in the presence of a friend—
different patterns emerge.
Under these influences, 18 to 21 year olds tend to behave more like younger teens,
and their brains show younger-teen-like patterns of activity.
In other words, during your teens and early twenties,
your brain is wired to place more value and attention
on social and emotional elements.
This allows emerging adults to better explore their identities
and connect with others,
but may also create more vulnerability to negative peer influence
and rash heat of the moment decisions.
For this reason, many scientists argue that judicial systems
should expand juvenile courts to include
those in their late teens and early twenties,
as current systems fail to recognize
how the emerging adult brain is still changing.
So when are you actually an adult?
As you can see, there is no exact age or moment
in development that we can point to.
Instead, neuroscience suggests that there are waves of maturity.
As different brain regions and mental abilities mature at different times,
so do different adult-like states and behaviors.
Not everyone will reach each wave of maturity at the same age.
Each person’s journey to adulthood is unique,
influenced by genetics, environment, and experience.
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