I’m 17 going to be 18 in October. [I Am a Teenager]

I’m sick of people thinking teenagers are stupid and don’t know anything!!!
My friends and I were told, “If course you don’t know! You’re TEENAGERS!!!! You don’t know anything about the world or owning a car!! You need to come to us first.”
I hate feeling dumb. Can’t wait to be an adult. Adults think we’re stupid.

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SomeMichGuy · M

I know it is easy to feel that way, esp. when one is "nearly 18", and 18 is very much made to seem...amazing.

So...DO vote, because now you can, right?

But realize this: research has shown that the part of the brain used in decision-making doesn't finish its development until we are about 24 yrs old...so if you wonder why older people have trouble taking younger people seriously, look at any number of online videos showing younger people doing all sorts of "challenges" which can kill or hurt them...

Behavior like THAT does not indicate maturity, and maturity is not what you get via just turning calendar pages...it requires experience to give you (better) judgment, discernment, etc.

So go forth and get experience and if you don't act stupid, you are much less likely to be treated as though you are, regardless of your age.

And older people who dismiss you without knowing you are age-ist, just like younger people who dismiss older people without knowing THEM.