The 18+ SCAM-ager
Ought not the YOU be wiser?
The legal age, either 18 or 21 (mostly 18 for many countries), has always been made a symbol or mark of freedom and maturity, especially the latter. It is expected that at the legal age, you are to be treated as an adult that you have just become and you are expected to start an independent life. You’d be required to join the world’s economic bracket of the working and independent population, which is theoretically pegged between the ages 18–64.
JUST A HOST OF EXPECTATIONS HERE AND THERE
With all the familiar things you probably know about adulting or being 18+, there is one thing I want this article to communicate to you. This is what I call the seducing scam meat of every 18+ individual on the face of the earth. (I just made that term up. Enjoy!!). It’s ACCESS.
Starting with this question, I’d like to understand why people believe that they actually can have unrestricted access to things that were forbidden when they were not legal yet. Why do you believe being 18+ makes many things valid to you? Who said you could handle it? Have you ever thought that 18+ just means that you are expected to be wise enough to know that you cannot handle it?
Since GenZ’s and Millenials like to use logic with everything and anything, wouldn’t it be logical to actually always consider why some rules that have lasted for a great number of years, generations are quite important?
For example, sharing and viewing explicit content. Why do people believe that they can go through these seamlessly because they have been tagged adults? Have you ever considered that the tag 18+ is probably there for you to decide to take a WISE and healthy decision at that point rather than act out of a frenzy? Or, do you think that the 18+ tag gives you unlimited access to behaving as you please?
Recently, a celebrity got sanctioned for inappropriate content by their fans and the celebrity had to apologize because they eventually realized that they may have overstepped their boundaries. But, comments under the apology post looked like this:
But, they are adults you know. They can do whatever they want. They don’t owe you anything.
Do they not? Are they actually supposed to shun responsibilities because they are adults? Does that not defeat the purpose of the 18+ tag?
Another one is PRIVACY and keeping your dirty linen to yourself. Why is it that generations have always emphasised keeping your private affairs as what they are, PRIVATE? Keeping your household issues to yourself or learning to keep a friend’s secret to yourself so the person does not get hurt.
Have you ever thought that those who made the rules believed that you ought to know what is private from what is public? What is good from what is bad with experience?
Why do you think all things apply to you cos' you are 18? The rate at which fluidity is coming between adulting/being responsible and irresponsibility is alarming. Apparently, recklessly throwing caution to the wind at important moments is the new cool. I mean, who doesn’t want to be the COOL ADULT or the COOL PARENT.
Make it make sense…
