Most people in the world, regardless of age, feel powerless about something in their lives. Even adults, whom most people believe have all the “freedom” in the world, which is why everyone is in a hurry to grow up.
But as teenagers, we start to develop many of our own opinions. We naturally rely less on our parents as we make decisions. Although adults don’t have complete freedom, they are bound by the laws of society and government, with consequences for breaking them. Teens are often bound to their parents’ egocentric and biased opinions.
According to BBC UK, criminal behavior in boys tends to start as a teen and peak at 17, possibly due to a desire to go against any of their parents’ wishes to assert their independence. This is an example of how desperately teenagers want autonomy and the lengths that they will go to feel in control over their own actions, decisions, and lives.
It is a popular opinion that being 17 is the best teen year, and overall, one of the best years of your life. People say this because sometimes 16 is too cliché, and 18 is too adult.
I disagree.
Being 17 is frustrating. At this age, you stand on the brink of becoming — or wanting to become — an adult, and when your fingertips seem to brush something so close yet still out of reach, that frustration intensifies. This is the age when your desire for independence from your parents peaks; you get jobs and start to establish your own financial identity in the world separate from your parents, and often you finish high school and begin the inherently independent journey of college.
For example, I’ve always wanted to make my own money, establish credit early, and find ways to invest. All three of those things provided obstacles in achieving since I was under 18. This frustrated me to an incomprehensible degree, especially in the few months leading up to my 18th birthday. I couldn’t stop obsessing over the fact that simply the second it hit midnight on Dec. 18, I would suddenly have so many more opportunities.
Members of Gen Z, in particular, have a reason for being frustrated with being underage. Amaya Connor, a junior at an Atlanta high school, and Jadyn Biggers, a sophomore at Georgia State University, shared their current and past expectations about turning 18.
“I think that society puts a lot of false expectations on 18-year-olds anyway; they say that we’re adults, but there’s still so much we’re not allowed to do until we’re in our 20s,” Jadyn says.
Amaya agrees, “I think there should be less emphasis on 18-year-olds being full-fledged adults, but rather them still being considered young adults,” highlighting the clear difference between someone fresh out of — or still in — high school and someone in their 20s or 30s with a college degree, a steady career, and possibly kids.
Add to that the biological fact that a person’s brain isn’t fully developed until the age of 25, with a man’s brain taking even longer to finish maturing.
The one thing both teens expressed as being their most anticipated legal adult activity is voting.
Kyra Tyson, a senior in high school, is most excited about getting her driver’s license at 18. While many people associate getting their license with being 16, what some might not realize is that getting your driver’s license as a minor requires a lot of time and money. It’s not just that you’re simply allowed to take the test; you have to complete instruction under a professional instructor for 16 hours, take a driver’s education course that can cost anywhere from $300 to $800, and achieve a total of 30 hours behind the wheel, all in the few years before your permit expires.
For a teen, it seems the frustrations never end. From being 17, overjoyed and bursting with excitement about your next birthday, to finally turning 18 and getting the promised status, only to still be held back by age, it seems reasonable not to expect full rights and opportunities in American society until 25.
I can’t wait.
