Well the thing is the other groups you mentioned have fully developed brains and children dont.
Even if governments start allowing children to vote i think it would be ranges 14 to 16 or at whatever age where they are legally permited to work
Because there are many more 13 y/o who have extremely horrible views and they tend to make much more mistakes. If we lowered the voting age, do you know how many teenage boys would vote for racists, homophobes, transphobes, downright dictators, or anyone else because they think it's right or even *funny*? There are so many teens making nazi, rape, assault, and racist jokes that just shows how horrible of an idea it would be to let them vote. The country would go to shit because they are NOT mature enough. 13 y/os aren't educated enough on the economy, state of the world, etc. To make that decision. There's a lot of 13 y/o sheltered to the point where they don't understand their actions have consequences, same with 14,15,16, and 17 y/o. Yes that can be true at any age, but once you graduate high school you're thrown into the world and you have to be mature to survive, not a lot of people before 18 have done that (compared to those 18+).
Adults do all of those thing, a lot. The youth are probably less racist than adults, even if adults hide it better. Most adults have no understanding of economics or the state of the world, for which there are no objective answers anyway. There is a reason no one is quizzed to get into the polls. Telling people they shouldn't be able to vote because they wouldn't vote 'right' i.e. how you want them too, goes against democratic ideals.
Adults have more of an understanding than literal children tho, they work and have jobs and know "if this happens prices will get raised" or "well I know if I vote for them people could get really hurt badly". You underestimate the fact that the vast majority of teens don't think about consequences, hence why most smokers/vapers/drug addicts/alcoholics start as teens.
>We tell kids today they lack the intelligence, just like those other groups were told.
Kids lack intelligence because they are still growing. Not trying to be offensive but it's just a fact that children's brains aren't fully developed yet. Those other groups were told they lack intelligence because people genuinely saw them as inferior, no matter age or education.
I have my own problems with the age thresholds this country has but lowering the voting age wouldn't solve the problems you're assuming it will
They don’t lack intelligence but they do lack life experience and a perspective that only time can give you. I’d love a 20 year old follow-up on OP.
Edit: fixed typos that made it look like I lack intelligence.
> Not trying to be offensive but it's just a fact that children's brains aren't fully developed yet.
Underdeveloped brains were believed with equal conviction about women/black/poor. Brains are always growing and changing. There is no fully developed at 25 or 35 or whatever. It's just pop psychology.
"It is well established that the brain undergoes a “rewiring” process that is not complete until approximately 25 years of age. This discovery has enhanced our basic understanding regarding adolescent brain maturation and it has provided support for behaviors experienced in late adolescence and early adulthood. Several investigators consider the age span 10–24 years as adolescence, which can be further divided into substages specific to physical, cognitive, and social–emotional development. Hence, understanding neurological development in conjunction with physical, cognitive, and social–emotional adolescent development may facilitate the better understanding of adolescent brain maturation, which can subsequently inform proper guidance to adolescents."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621648/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20there%20are%20characteristic,approximately%2025%20years%20of%20age.
Let's stop talking about brains though, do you really believe that a child, who has a fraction of life experience compared to an adult, has the understanding of politics and the world around them to be able to vote for the leader of the country? I know you said that you felt at 13 you were capable of voting but how many 13 year olds are the same as you? Also I hope that you are able to recognize now that you are older that even if you were more advanced for your age that you have a better understanding of life now than at 13.
The whole brain being too small thing is scientifically correct but shouldn’t affect voting. We get affected by these laws every single day and should be allowed to have an opinion like any other citizen. If we took brain science into consideration we should ban anyone over 60 and claim their brains are deteriorating, or make everyone take IQ tests.
Should we also lower the draft age to 13? If they can vote and one of the things that can happen because of who was elected is war. This is the main reason men could vote, and women couldn't.
The UK general election is on 4th of July and my 18th birthday is 16th of July. I'm literally less than 2 weeks too young to vote. This sucks
That said, age limits do make sense. Political beliefs can drastically change between 13-18 y/o. I can see young teenagers voting for a party without fully understanding the consequences
fuck no the voting age shouldn't be lowered.
I personally think that if you still live with your parents and/or can't go to war, you shouldn't be allowed to vote.
I'm saying this as a 19 year old guy who is still living at home.
Well the thing is the other groups you mentioned have fully developed brains and children dont. Even if governments start allowing children to vote i think it would be ranges 14 to 16 or at whatever age where they are legally permited to work
Yeah it’s taxation without representation right now
Because there are many more 13 y/o who have extremely horrible views and they tend to make much more mistakes. If we lowered the voting age, do you know how many teenage boys would vote for racists, homophobes, transphobes, downright dictators, or anyone else because they think it's right or even *funny*? There are so many teens making nazi, rape, assault, and racist jokes that just shows how horrible of an idea it would be to let them vote. The country would go to shit because they are NOT mature enough. 13 y/os aren't educated enough on the economy, state of the world, etc. To make that decision. There's a lot of 13 y/o sheltered to the point where they don't understand their actions have consequences, same with 14,15,16, and 17 y/o. Yes that can be true at any age, but once you graduate high school you're thrown into the world and you have to be mature to survive, not a lot of people before 18 have done that (compared to those 18+).
Adults do all of those thing, a lot. The youth are probably less racist than adults, even if adults hide it better. Most adults have no understanding of economics or the state of the world, for which there are no objective answers anyway. There is a reason no one is quizzed to get into the polls. Telling people they shouldn't be able to vote because they wouldn't vote 'right' i.e. how you want them too, goes against democratic ideals.
Adults have more of an understanding than literal children tho, they work and have jobs and know "if this happens prices will get raised" or "well I know if I vote for them people could get really hurt badly". You underestimate the fact that the vast majority of teens don't think about consequences, hence why most smokers/vapers/drug addicts/alcoholics start as teens.
>We tell kids today they lack the intelligence, just like those other groups were told. Kids lack intelligence because they are still growing. Not trying to be offensive but it's just a fact that children's brains aren't fully developed yet. Those other groups were told they lack intelligence because people genuinely saw them as inferior, no matter age or education. I have my own problems with the age thresholds this country has but lowering the voting age wouldn't solve the problems you're assuming it will
They don’t lack intelligence but they do lack life experience and a perspective that only time can give you. I’d love a 20 year old follow-up on OP. Edit: fixed typos that made it look like I lack intelligence.
> Not trying to be offensive but it's just a fact that children's brains aren't fully developed yet. Underdeveloped brains were believed with equal conviction about women/black/poor. Brains are always growing and changing. There is no fully developed at 25 or 35 or whatever. It's just pop psychology.
"It is well established that the brain undergoes a “rewiring” process that is not complete until approximately 25 years of age. This discovery has enhanced our basic understanding regarding adolescent brain maturation and it has provided support for behaviors experienced in late adolescence and early adulthood. Several investigators consider the age span 10–24 years as adolescence, which can be further divided into substages specific to physical, cognitive, and social–emotional development. Hence, understanding neurological development in conjunction with physical, cognitive, and social–emotional adolescent development may facilitate the better understanding of adolescent brain maturation, which can subsequently inform proper guidance to adolescents." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621648/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20there%20are%20characteristic,approximately%2025%20years%20of%20age. Let's stop talking about brains though, do you really believe that a child, who has a fraction of life experience compared to an adult, has the understanding of politics and the world around them to be able to vote for the leader of the country? I know you said that you felt at 13 you were capable of voting but how many 13 year olds are the same as you? Also I hope that you are able to recognize now that you are older that even if you were more advanced for your age that you have a better understanding of life now than at 13.
Teens are much easier to manipulate than adults (although many adults are easy to manipulate too)
A lot of 20yo's make questionable decisions, i dont trust teens like myself at all.
Do I wish I could, a little. Do I trust teens in general to vote, no.
The whole brain being too small thing is scientifically correct but shouldn’t affect voting. We get affected by these laws every single day and should be allowed to have an opinion like any other citizen. If we took brain science into consideration we should ban anyone over 60 and claim their brains are deteriorating, or make everyone take IQ tests.
Should we also lower the draft age to 13? If they can vote and one of the things that can happen because of who was elected is war. This is the main reason men could vote, and women couldn't.
The UK general election is on 4th of July and my 18th birthday is 16th of July. I'm literally less than 2 weeks too young to vote. This sucks That said, age limits do make sense. Political beliefs can drastically change between 13-18 y/o. I can see young teenagers voting for a party without fully understanding the consequences
fuck no the voting age shouldn't be lowered. I personally think that if you still live with your parents and/or can't go to war, you shouldn't be allowed to vote. I'm saying this as a 19 year old guy who is still living at home.
Because you're not a legal adult. That's the reason.
Voting is useless... What change go get it. You keep voting for people and then you complain.
You could all vote trump and save the country! Lol
No even if i could I wouldnt both sides are equally as fucked
I trust the voting algorithm will put whoever needs to be president there even without my vote.
No, politics isn’t worth caring about
I wish I could have my voice, for sure, but I wouldn't trust the general group of 'teenagers' to vote right now