So many issues in the news today center on the question of what age counts as an “adult,” from purchasing a gun to smoking to voting. We explore what factors lead to determining that a young person is an “adult,” including brain development, legal precedents and social mores.
Guests
- R. Bruce Thompson, associate professor of psychology, University of Southern Maine
- Dr. Jonathan Fanburg, pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at Maine Medical Center
- Dr. Robyn Ostrander, interim chief, Department of Psychiatry, Maine Medical Center; medical director, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Maine Medical Center
References
- Maine Public: Leaders to Decide if Gun Control Bills Will Be Considered This Session
- NPR: A Gun Shop Owner On Age Limits In Sales
- American Psychological Association: Emerging adults: The in-between age
- Late adolescence developmental milestones, Hunter College
- NHPR: Bill to Raise Marriage Age Clears N.H. House
- American Psychological Association: Marijuana and the developing brain
- New York Times: How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
- Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine: Changing life expectancy throughout history
- 2017 World Happiness Report, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network