Discrimination Against Youth

Any honest conversation about youth must address the challenges that young people and adult allies face when they work to engage children and youth throughout our communities. By their very existence, youth programs are made to respond to these challenges; ignoring them is not being honest about the purpose of youth programs. Racism, sexism, classism, homophobia… the list of challenges facing young people is enormous. However, one of the core challenges is a common experience that all people face early in their lives. That challenge is discrimination against children and youth.

Discrimination occurs anytime one thing is chosen before something else. That is often a good thing – otherwise, why wouldn’t we all steal our food instead of growing it or buying it? We all discriminate everyday. However, discrimination often excludes people because of false bias or prejudice.

Discrimination against children and youth is caused by the bias adults have for other adults that causes them to discriminate against young people. Bias for adults is called adultism. When something is based on adultism, it is called adultcentrism.While adultism is sometimes appropriate, adultcentrism is often inappropriate. Compulsory education can force students to disengage from the love of learning. Youth development programs can force youth to disconnect from adults. Almost every activity that is for young people is decided upon, developed, assessed and redeveloped without young people. That is adultcentrism.

Language, programs, teaching styles, and all relationships between young people and adults are adultcentric. The most “youth-friendly” adults are often adultist, assuming that youth need them – which, while it may be true, is still centered on adult perspectives. Adultism is not always harmful – but adultism is always real.

Adultism leads to a phenomenon of “little adults” – young people who are “adults-in-the-making”, rather than children and youth today. Adultcentrism leads to manipulating and tokenizing young people through Youth Voice activities. Despite the intention, that process often further disengages young people!

Adultism exists for a lot of reasons, including beliefs about the abilities of young people, roles of different people throughout society, and the nature of society. Those beliefs have sometimes lead to the fear of children, called pedophobia, and the fear of youth, called ephebiphobia. These fears drive much of society to segregate young people from adults, demonize youth in the media, and ostracize children from elders. These fears have filled our culture with double standards that constantly challenge young people.

Identifying Discrimination

Identifying different forms of discrimination against young people throughout our society is important. Following are some of those forms.

Discrimination against Youth in Language

“Act your age.”
“Children should be seen and not heard.”
“What do you know, you’re just a kid!”
“Do as I say, not as I do.”
“You’ll understand it someday, just you wait.”

Discrimination against Youth in Youth Work

Programs designed by adults for youth without youth
Isolation of children and youth from adults
Professional language does not allow youth to easily understand what is being done to them
Evaluations engage adult staff and not youth participants

Discrimination against Youth in School

Students are forced by law to attend schools that may not be effective
Classroom learning relies on adults as sole-holders of knowledge
Decisions about students, including learning topics, activities, punishments, budgeting and teaching methods are routinely made without students
Adults routinely grade students without giving equal weight to students’ perspectives on their own academic achievement
Double-standards in treatment, including when the belief that when teachers yell at students, they are controlling classrooms; when students yell at teachers, they are creating unsafe learning environments

Discrimination against Youth in Communities

People under 18-years-old are virtual non-citizens without the right to vote or any tangible political representation and minimal influence
Community problem-solving that routinely neglects youth members
Business policies that allow for discrimination, such as “Under-14s must be accompanied by adults,” and “Under-18s cannot be managers.”
Local laws that target youth, including anti-cruising and anti-graffiti laws
Media bias against youth that alternatively portrays youth as apathetic super-predators who are obese, stuck on computers, gang members.

How YOU Can Resist Discrimination Against Youth

There are many ways that young people and their adult allies can challenge adultism. Addressing discrimination against youth is a challenge that many young people and adult allies should take personally, especially when armed with meaningful strategies for powerful action. Following are a few strategies for resisting adultism:

Adults should strive to be a role model for other adults. Demonstrate in your own conduct and the way you talk that you oppose attitudes and behavior that debase, degrade, inflict injury on or promote animosity against young people of all ages.
Youth should get to know your adults, no matter where they are – school, youth programs, the library, everywhere. Support those who actually show they care above all about young people, that they have integrity and that they can be objective.
Insist that your youth program/classroom/religious community/organization sets high goals and expectations for adults, no matter what positions they are in, where they come from or how much education they have.
Carefully examine the media in your community. See if it is realistic, democratic, and free of adultist biases. If they are not, demand coverage that is.
Insist that youth development, educational, and behavior management practices be reviewed for effectiveness. These practices reveal what adults do not know, not what they do.
Volunteer as an adult ally for a youth program or school.
Talk with young people you know. Listen to them. Engage yourself in their lives as appropriate, and as you are capable.
Provide literature and resources about Youth Voice to young people themselves.

Tips for Addressing Discrimination Against Youth

Advocating for youth throughout a community often means being prepared for just about anything – on a moment’s notice. When facing adultism head-on, it can be important to be intentional in your efforts. Following are some tips when addressing adultism:

Seek understanding by encouraging adults to examine adultism. Explore the feelings adults have about young people. Youth and adults should work together to find the source of frustration, resentment or treatment towards youth.
Acknowledge anger and let youth and adults know that it is okay to feel anger – but remind them they do not need to act out their anger towards young people.
Engage allies by asking an adult ally to address and explore adultism with other adults. If you are an adult trying to reach another adult, it can be powerful to bring young people directly into the picture.
Remember that Youth Voice is for everyone, and that in easy times and struggling times, Youth Voice should be hard. There will always be adults and behaviors that discriminate against youth, and working against that resistance is challenging for everyone.
You are not alone, and there are other people advocating for youth and struggling against adultism. Connect with others in your town, across Washington, and around the world – because they are out there!
Stay focused, no matter how pointed the adultism might seem. Stay calm and try not to take it personally. Address behaviors, structures, and other things that can be changed.
Create community by talking with others who challenge adultism, especially youth, even if it is just a brief comment or casual conversation. Adultism affects or has affected every single person in our society, and it takes persistence and teamwork to resist it.

Other tools are out there, too – share your thoughts in the comments below! For more information about how The Freechild Project can help support youth voice in your community or organization, contact us.

Order FACING ADULTISM by Freechild founder Adam Fletcher!

Articles

28 responses to “Discrimination Against Youth”

Children and Animals: Socialism’s Forgotten Comrades – The Birthstrike Movement

December 24, 2021 at 11:12 am

[…] Fletcher, A. F. (2016, January 7). Discrimination Against Youth. Retrieved from https://freechild.org/2016/01/07/discrimination-against-youth-voice/ […]

Reply
Ludovic Wistaria

August 11, 2021 at 7:30 pm

After watching documentaries on the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements, I was wondering about young people as an underrepresented voice and a marginalized group. So I did an Internet search, out of curiosity, on “age discrimination against children” and this website appeared. I teach children and youth, and I’ve always aspired to respect young people as equals which is the way I wished I had been treated growing up.

I was raised by verbally and emotionally abusive parents. I was told to shut up and obey, repeatedly called selfish and ungrateful, spoken to in harsh tones, manipulated into giving insincere apologies, my thoughts and feelings were either ignored or laughed at, I was treated as less than human. Maybe similar to Katie’s experience. The abuse lasted from childhood and continued into my mid20s.

A few small things I found online:
http://www.ageism.org calls it “reverse age discrimination”
The Fair Housing Act was updated recently to understand children as a key component implied in the protected class of “familial status”.
The WHO and UN have articles on “ageism towards younger and older people.”
Adultism fits the description of “age discrimination” on http://www.equalityhumanrights.com from the UK.

It’s really cool to see younger people here discussing their right to be treated fairly. I read your stories and I support every one of you. 100 years ago there was this notion that men had to “protect” women from worldly society because women were the gentler weaker and more irrational sex. (primitive sentiment from a barbaric time, right?) Well… Where some adults are now, alleging to act on behalf of a child’s best interest, is where the men were back then with regard to women: valiant and well intentioned, yet ignorant, crude, dehumanizing, prejudiced, and oppressive. Someday soon, the young people will be liberated. I’m down with children’s suffrage too; no less intelligent than adults. Mr. Fletcher, thank you for your work and for enabling discussion. Lindsay, this topic is toootally worth the research; I hope you went ahead with it. ipi and other young people: hang in there, you’re not alone, keep advocating. Cheers.

Reply
Lindsay

November 9, 2020 at 2:43 pm

What a breath of fresh air to find not only this site and article but the commenters to. I am a final year PhD student in UK and I have been desperately looking for like minded people. I am about to run my final study looking at if the implicit negative bias that adults hold about young people can be changed. I am looking for other people to interact with and talk to about this as I seem to be the only person in the UK who thinks this issue is important enough to change.

Reply
1. Dr P R Frampton
  
  May 9, 2021 at 7:55 am
  
  Hi Lindsay. I have just seen this. Hope you got your PhD sorted before the pandemic. I am also struck by the lack of discussion on this issue in the UK and am writing a piece which focuses on the struggles of young people to empower themselves, the power of collective empowerment and the societal fear of autonomously acting collectively empowered young people. I’d be very interested in your insights and conclusions. Regards
  
  Reply
ipi

May 28, 2019 at 8:52 am

I can’t believe I actually found this website. Adultism seems very big in America but its a lot worse here in Africa. I can’t even speak to talk about how adults treat young people as lost and blind who need them to have complete control of their lives. At school, a lot of judgments are made which are false and illogical cannot be reviewed because to them w are just children that do not have minds of our own. we do not have any say and cannot be recognized as actual people. I have tried to start motions that can show that we young people are capable of reasoning and producing out valid judgment but it seems not to have any change. right now I am planning meetings between management and parents so we can address the problem, apart from that it seems like the problem is too big to control. The meeting itself would be a problem to put together considering that a 16-year-old wants to have a serious discussion with people generations older than him. I dont know what else can work anymore

Reply
My Survey on Ageism – AshleyShootsPhotography

May 8, 2019 at 8:41 am

[…] are condescending and there is a handful of ways we can be discriminated towards, for example, ( https://freechild.org/discrimination-against-youth-voice/ ) this website will show and highlight ways that many people treat us and most are things that […]

Reply
Claire

May 7, 2019 at 1:22 am

Is youth discrimination protected by the law? Who would be a stakeholder this issue? or who would be the lawmaker for making youth discrimination protected by the law?

Reply
1. Adam Fletcher
  
  May 8, 2019 at 5:40 pm
  
  Hi Claire, and thanks for your question. As far as my research has shown, there are many laws protecting youth from discrimination around the world. They include laws prohibiting or banning things that are done to youth or things that youth are excluded from, such as:
  
  * Discrimination against youth by physical, sexual, and/or psychological maltreatment or neglect;
  * Discrimination against youth through illegal labor; endangerment and infanticide;
  * Discrimination against youth through parental actions including youth maltreatment
  * Discrimination against youth through sexual abuse/exploitation
  * Discrimination against youth through neglect or abuse
  * Discrimination against youth through sexual or labor trafficking
  * Discrimination against youth with disabilities
  * Discrimination against youth through familial migration
  * Discrimination against youth through unaccompanied children in a situation of migration
  * Discrimination against youth without parental care or who are in alternative care
  * Discrimination against youth in police custody or detention
  * Discrimination against homeless youth
  * Discrimination against youth with parents in prison or custody
  * Discrimination against youth in judicial proceedings
  * Discrimination against youth in custody disputes, including parental child abduction
  * Discrimination against youth in minority ethnic groups, e.g. Roma
  * Discrimination against youth through female genital mutilation or forced marriage
  * Discrimination against youth through who are not in compulsory education or training or working children below the legal age for work
  * Discrimination against youth through victims of bullying or cyberbullying
  
  Stakeholders in these issues space all the areas touched upon, including youth, parents, law enforcement, teachers, community educators, public health workers, social workers, government officials, school leaders, elected representatives, youth workers, business owners, medical doctors, NGO leaders, community advocates, mental health counselors, and many, many others.
  
  Lawmakers who could make laws to further prevent youth discrimination include local elected officials include mayors, members of a county commission, city counsel, school board, utility or hospital district; a judge, a justice of the peace, a county or city attorney, a marshal, a sheriff, a constable and a registrar of deeds; tax collectors and assessors; and members of advisory boards and committees. These individuals control, have power over, legislate or otherwise represent all people in democratic societies, including youth. They can make, enforce, modify or otherwise affect youth in countless ways, and are essential all elected officials who can prevent youth discrimination. Similarly, in many countries a president and the vice president or another democratically elected official on the national level can prevent youth discrimination. In many states, a governor, a secretary of state, or a member of a legislative body such as the Congress or a state legislature can affect youth discrimination.
  
  I hope this answers your question – feel free to ask more!
  
  Reply
Katie

July 15, 2017 at 2:28 am

As someone with the face of a fifteen year old trapped in a 19 year old’s life, I can testify that Ageism is a huge factor in many aspects of my life including employment opportunities, work situations, public interactions, and conversations with adults, especially parents. I work at a camp and because of how young I look, the parents are reluctant to leave their child in my care and therefore the kids tend to ignore my authority, I can’t really fault them because their own parents just discredited my right to lead when they asked if I was old enough to be left alone with children. My judgement is constantly undermined by parents and many adult figures. The other day I was flying home from college and (after a gate agent had tried to get me to board as a minor who needed a babysitter) an elderly man seated next to me instructed me to buckle up as we were sitting waiting for people to board the plane. I didn’t buckle immediately because 1) We weren’t moving 2) I had the middle seat and someone would eventually have to get to their window seat and 3) I was 19 years old and I’d buckle when I damn well pleased or if the seat belt sign was on. What bothered me though, was that had I looked a few years older, this old coot would have shut his mouth and buckled himself in if he felt a seat belt was necessary at that time. Instead, the man felt that I was incapable of making the right judgement regarding the seat belt and felt the need to exert his dominance over me. Had I been in middle school I would have buckled my belt but as a college student; I worked minimum wage jobs to pay this man’s social security so he and his decomposing wife could spend their last summers in RV taking up parking space at Yellowstone. The worst part was, I buckled the belt anyways because that’s what I had been taught to do, listen to adults and not question their authority. Then there’s the public situations, like I turn into a category 5 criminal if I’m at a park after sunset or the sign that says ‘Kids under 18 can’t carry a bag into our store.’ as if the 18 and under crowd are the only people who steal, and so help me god If I want to apply for a job. The job front is the hardest because no one wants to take orders from a little girl so I can rule out any management opportunities, secondly, if I work as a hostess or bartender I need to look the part which I’m sure is true for a lot of jobs, and finally, age equals experience so when I look like I’m fifteen, people automatically assume I don’t know or understand jack squat. Lastly, my parents. We’re in this awkward limbo of I’m an adult but they still can’t see it. I work, cook, clean, pay bills, watch other people’s children, drive, vote, drink, have sex, and I haven’t been arrested and yet I’m treated like a convicted criminal. I have a curfew, a to-do list, ridiculous repercussions for my actions like being sent to my room, my feelings are automatically invalidated as “trivial” or a “temper tantrum” or “childish” and my reactions and actions are always taken into question like my parents are a higher power when the two of them aren’t exactly standing on the moral high ground. I’ll never forget my mother’s face when I said something smart about my parents’ divorce:
my father: You’re in trouble because you weren’t honest.
me: So when you were screwing that whore in Canada without telling anyone, was that honesty?
It’s like being an adult allows people to forget what being hypocritical is and gives them the ability to criticize the young people and target millennials for things that their generation started or took part in. Ex. Bill Gates –> Kids these days, always on their phones. Ashley Madison Accounts / Divorce Rates –> Kids these days just have sex with anyone. Global Warming / Environmental Issues —> Kids these days, wasting water and electricity. The media uses millenials as scapegoats and the under 18 population, as non-voting, non citizen party, is forced to not be taken seriously as the media bashes them without representation.

Reply
1. Jieming Gan
  
  October 28, 2020 at 6:46 pm
  
  I agree. I’m only thirteen and I have experienced a lot of ageism, especially online. I’m automatically expected to be immature, yet when I am immature, I’m told to act my age. Everyone assumes that all the knowledge I possess is from the internet, they think that my vocabulary is all from an online thesaurus. People condescendingly tell me that I don’t really know anything about the world, or that I’m just trying to act like I understand politics or philosophy. My opinions, my beliefs, my values, are all discredited because of my age. My maturity, my intelligence, my comprehension, are all questioned because of my age. My ethics, my problems, my predicaments, are all ignored because of my age. I’m stereotyped as a rude, rash, rebellious teenager who only cares about technology. I’m assumed to be stupid and reckless, naive and lazy. When I talk about politics, I’m shut down, told that kids don’t understand anything, but then at the same time, I’m carped for not caring about the problems of society. I’m blamed for the problems the older generations caused for me. I one hundred percent agree with your statements in the last paragraph. I had always thought I was the only one who thought this, but it’s so satisfying to know that someone actually understands this point. Ageism is a terrible yet often overlooked thing. It’s sometimes even blamed on “the younger generation being salty and using a made up thing as a scapegoat and an excuse to not do anything”. Ageism is stupid, and we definitely need more awareness of it in society.
  
  Reply
15 Alyx

May 31, 2017 at 9:48 pm

*negatively impact

Reply
15 Alyx

May 31, 2017 at 9:46 pm

@22, but still a kid at heart 😉
In regards to consent laws, here in CT (and most places) it’s set at 16. If an 8 year old consents to sexual acts, it would not be appropriate. Removing age of consent laws paves way for sexual acts with children, which I could only hope you do not find okay.
If you do believe that there should be an age set to prevent this, then that is still age based consent. (note there is exceptions in individuals close in age, or married).

As for movie/game/website restrictions, these do not exist. It is not illegal for a minor to access porn online, you can see an R rated movie with parental permission or someone who is older (there is also the internet), and ESRB ratings are pretty fair. The majority of games fit under E for everyone, 10+, or teen. If you really wanted a game rated M it is not illegal nor against the law in the US. You can again, easily buy it online, or for many places in person.
It deeply concerns me that you believe it is entirely fine for kids to be exposed to certain things at such a young age. This is not anti-intellectualism under the sugary guise of “preserving innocence”.
One thing is watching a documentary about animals that happens to have mating, or learning about a world war that inevitably is going to have violence, but you are talking about website, movies, and video games that are rated that for content such as gore, drugs, alcohol, and strong sexual themes. Things that are not benefiting them in the slightest. Kids do not need to be exposed to this, especially via these mediums which tend to overglorify such things. Again, one thing is watching a quality film (Such as Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away) in which the character Yababa is seen smoking and it would be unfair for a child not to watch it on the basis of this. If the parent had a problem, they could just watch it and explain the dangers of smoking afterword. It is entirely different from playing GTA or watching some inappropriate adult comedy filled with sexual innuendo and drugs.
I think you have forgotten the role of a parent and are somehow under the belief that kids (and as an extent teens) should be almost entirely self regulatory.
Parent derives from a latin root meaning “to bring forth”. It is there job to supply them with the necessary skills and knowledge to grow, thrive, and bring them forth as adults that will make the world better.
The same way you are what you eat, you are what you feed your mind. Senselessly exposing it it to certain things will negatively your outlook on the world. Don’t be so quick to assume the things you see have no affect. That goes for everyone, regardless of age.

Reply
1. Adam Fletcher
  
  May 31, 2017 at 9:53 pm
  
  Hey Alex, and thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, I think you’re wholly missing the point of my page here.
  
  Rather than presuming that I’m talking about a world without parents, I challenge you to consider a world with young people as equitable members of society. Equity – not equality – is the key here. While its absolutely true that adults (parents especially) have specific roles throughout our society, I believe its important to see that children and youth have roles too, and given the changing nature of our society, those need to transform. Rather than being seen and treated as the passive recipients of adult-driven households, schools, governments and culture, all young people everywhere must be repositioned as active co-creators throughout all of the institutions that define where we live, how we live, and what we do throughout our lives. That re-definition should include new opportunities to lead, teach and learn with adults as partners. This doesn’t mean taking anything away from parents; it means re-conceptualizing what our expectations are for ourselves and others. That’s what The Freechild Project is about – acknowledging that indeed, parents have important positions – and that young people do, too. Its not either/or, its both/and.
  
  Thanks again for your comment.
  
  Reply
  1. 15 Alyx
    
    May 31, 2017 at 10:10 pm
    
    @Adam Fletcher I understand and agree with that notion entirely.
    It is “22, but still a kid at heart ;)”
    that my comment was directed at. I’m just a bit confused/concerned about some of the statements he/she is making.
Christine

May 31, 2017 at 9:04 pm

What are the consequences of adultism? Adultism is sharing the common ground with domestic violence. Can people use free child. Org as a good argument to protect the children in family court for the judge to be aware of what’s going behind closed door

Reply
1. Adam Fletcher
  
  May 31, 2017 at 9:09 pm
  
  Using The Freechild Project website is your call – there are few citations on the site and its largely conjecture and inference. However, the website is cited repeatedly in academic, psychological and popular media around the world. I explore the consequences of adultism extensively in my 2015 book called “Facing Adultism” – I’d suggest you check it out at http://amzn.to/2sfcU0k
  
  Reply
14 year old

March 29, 2016 at 4:54 am

I agree. The fact of the matter is, if I were to say something political or anything involving issues in the “real world” I would be told to stay out of it. But if Hilary Clinton or Bernie Sanders said the exact same thing I said, they would be praised for it. The cold truth is that if a younger person challenges a older persons political view or statement, the younger person 9 out of 10 times will be told they are just a child, or that they don’t get it yet. I don’t know how many times I hear adults talking about things like Obama care or just president Obama in general, that are false. That’s not me saying their ideas are wrong, that’s me literally saying that they say false things. For example I have heard an adult say that the United States found weapons of mass destruction in the middle east, which is false. I’m a democrat from Pennsylvania and my family moved down south so as you could imagine, I run into a lot of republicans. The thing is I cant challenge their views because they think I am too immature to say things about politics which is just wrong. Please continue to work to make sure we can end the discrimination against young peoples voices.

Reply
1. Randall Kovar
  
  July 28, 2016 at 5:09 am
  
  The voting age is 18 for a reason. It would not be appropriate to enfranchise young children or very young adolescents due to the fact that there is a tendency for them to lack the ability to understand the long term ramifications of who they may vote for or how they voted. Usually adults have more of the ability to understand the long term ramifications of how they voted or who they voted for. It would be inappropriate to abolish the voting age.
  
  Reply
  1. Guy
    
    December 29, 2016 at 7:47 pm
    
    Invalid.
  2. 15 Alyx
    
    April 14, 2017 at 11:26 pm
    
    I think it’s important to note that age and intelligence don’t always correlate. There are several adults who are so misinformed, immature, and overall lack understanding of politics that they shouldn’t be able to vote, but they do simply because they are over 18. Meanwhile there are several young individuals below the age of 18 that are so knowledgeable in politics and have strong opinions that they wish to be heard, and are not able to do so.
    This is the case with a number of things.
    Ideally we wouldn’t use age as a way to quantify what an individual is capable of but rather their overall maturity, regardless of age. Of course certain things would be exceptions to this rule (ex. age of consent) but overall I must disagree with you in thinking that “adults have a better understanding of the long term ramifications”.
    Hey, lets try judging people by “the content of their character” okay?
    Just a thought.
  3. 22, but still a kid at heart ;)
    
    May 12, 2017 at 12:23 am
    
    Most adults aren’t capable of understanding long-term consequences either, and their way of thinking is overly stubborn and closed-minded. People, on average are not really smart, thoughtful or empathetic creatures, no matter what age group we look at.
    
    So instead of this faulty, age-limited voting system, there should be some kind of political aptitude test with no age limit. About the role of basic political institutions and such.
    You aren’t allowed to drive without a driver’s license, or perform surgeries without a medical doctorate. So why should politics work differently? Think of all political leaders nowadays that you know. More than half of them are completely inept and/or psychopaths. I guess that’s a solid proof that being an adult by itself doesn’t make you capable of intelligent decision making.
    
    …Also, (for 15 Alyx) I don’t think age of consent laws are reasonable either. Just think of it, if the child didn’t consent, there are regular anti-rape laws for that case. If they did, why would you want to invalidate their choice? It is quite dehumanizing to disregard a anyone’s opinion so blatantly. “You ARE a rape victim! I don’t care if you are in love!” How does this sound?
    
    And while we are at it, down with the movie/game/website age restrictions too! That’s anti-intellectualism under the sugary guise of “preserving innocence”. But what is “innocence” even? I think it means “not being guilty”. How is it guilty to watch/play/read bloody or sexual things. Sex is normal, no other living being is so ashamed of it as humans. Animals do it in front of their kids! (Well, even I find that squicky, still it’s just a cultural thing…) As for the bloody stuff, kids can decide for themselves if they are scared of it or not. Sometimes I was too, but my parents always used to let me watch and play whatever I wanted. Yet I didn’t turn out to be murderous or violent. (That’s usually the impact of domestic violence instead, which is ironically disregarded, and even accepted as a way of parenting in too many countries…)
    
    Anyway, it’s difficult to be young and opinionated…
    
    …And sorry for the rant, I’m just happy that I found a website that cares about the discrimination of young people. 😀
  4. That other kid that just turned 18
    
    December 10, 2018 at 9:14 pm
    
    22, but still a kid at heart, although I do agree with your thought process and some of your ideology I would like to recommend you do some research about brain development, it’s a very interesting subject. Although adults, just as well as kids, can make rash decisions and due to some biological factors may make some adults have the self-awareness of ramifications comparable to a 5-year-old. The frontal lobe, which plays a vital role in judgement, does not fully develop until the mid 20’s, so while I do agree there should be a political aptitude test for politics the fact is there is a myriad of studies showing why there should be an age restriction on violent/sexual content.
  5. 22 too
    
    August 23, 2020 at 1:37 pm
    
    I completely agree. Do you have reddit? I really want to do something about it just not sure what would work yet – some kind of campaign anyway.
  6. Alastair proom
    
    October 20, 2017 at 11:28 am
    
    IQ 139 14 year old here I wish I could vote as I disagree with the choices elders make.
  7. Concerned For Randall
    
    March 29, 2018 at 7:05 pm
    
    Randall, you’re acting like most adults are able to see long-term consequences. Obviously not, as Donald Trump was elected president.
  8. Randall Kovar
    
    June 4, 2019 at 3:01 am
    
    I did not mean all adults w/o exception. I meant what I said in general terms.Generally speaking.
  9. Randall Kovar
    
    June 4, 2019 at 3:09 am
    
    I did not mean all adults 100% w/o exception. I meant what I said in general terms.
  10. Jieming Gan
    
    October 28, 2020 at 6:34 pm
    
    I do agree that the legal age of voting is eighteen for valid reasons. However, there is still a disadvantage for children in politics. As the article states, there is generally little to no representation for youth in community decisions. I am not advocating for the abolition of the current age of the vote, as young people are, generally, less informed in sociology and politics. I don’t think that children should be legally allowed to vote per se, but I do support a law or method allowing children to gain more representation in the state without direct voting allowed for said adolescents. I, myself, am thirteen yet I engage in political and philosophical debates often, and have established many strong political viewpoints and stances. I would like to think that I understand the consequences of political implications, although if I don’t then I would assume that it’s probably true. Still, I think that there should be more political representation of adolescents, mostly those above thirteen.