Your age significantly influences the consequences you face in several ways due to various factors like legal, social, health-related, and psychological factors.
The first factor is the legal consequences. In many of the legal systems minors (who are typically under 18) get treated differently than older individuals. An example of this is younger people might face lesser sentences for crimes due to their age, with more of a rehabilitation focus and not punitive ones. But in some cases, especially for serious offenses, they can be tried as an adult which causes them to face harsher penalties. Another thing is the age of consent depending on what country and state you are in. The legal age of consent, drinking, voting, and driving can result in different consequences depending on your age and the laws where you are.
Jonathan Lewis (12th grade) stated, “ I feel like no matter what you do or who you’ve hurt there’s always a possibility that you will be let off the hook because of your age and people thinking you’re too young to face the consequences of your actions. Even though you were in the right mind to know what you did was wrong.”
Social and cultural expectations are another factor in the earlier stages of adulthood. There’s more of a tolerance for mistakes and failing in career choices, education, and relationships; this can be seen as more of a learning experience. On the other hand, consequences can be harder if made later in your life when it’s expected to have more stability and achievements.
Psychological and Cognitive is another factor, younger people often face consequences because of their lack of experience and their emotional maturity. They tend to have impulsive and poor decision-making which has the possibility to lead to higher risks and severe consequences. As people get older cognitive functions like decision-making and memory may decline which can begin to lead to unintended consequences. They might be more risk-averse but also might face consequences due to declining physical health or loss of social mobility.
Valeria Gomez (10th grade) stated “I feel like age does affect the consequences you face because they believe kids are more naive and don’t think about the stuff they do when that’s not the case”
The last factor is health-related; younger individuals may be more tolerant of physical injuries or illnesses, but they also might not have the ability that older individuals have to understand long-term health risks. For older individuals, the consequences of unhealthy habits may become more of a problem. For example, choices you make in your lifestyle earlier in life, like diets and exercise, may have long-term effects on an individual’s health as they get older.
All in all, age can influence how the world sees your actions and decisions, the severity of consequences you may face, and how society or the legal system acts towards you.
