Poll: When do you consider someone no longer a teen?

[Jak23]

I turned 18 in May, and am now therefore legally an adult. Yet some of my friends still consider me to be a teen until I'm 20.

So I was wondering what the general consensus is here. When the person reaches legal adulthood, or when they turn 20?

 

[Keoul]

When they don't have teen in their age anymore.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

When... they're not a teenager any more, so, you know, 20.


Some times clear cut lines exist for a reason.

 

[Vegosiux]

Well, generally when they turn 20 since they're not something-teen anymore. That's literally what it is. A "teenager" is a person who has "-teen" in their age, there's no deeper meaning.

 

[Rosiv]

When they turn 20, although the state of not being a teen doesn't mean anything of character, nor does being an adult, aside from the legal stuff.

 

[Skatologist]

Two words: Individual basis, when you stop acting like a teen, you are no longer a teen for me. You could be 30 years old and still be considered a teen in my eyes, likewise, you could be 15 years old and not be considered a teen to me for many reason, such as being raised in a culture where adolescence is near nonexistent. But if I were to generally go by my American culture and how I see things, people are usually no longer teens in between 18 and 20. They may still have teen tendencies, but many try to become more adult during this time, at least in my experience.

 

[Random Argument Man]

When they finally learn what it means to be an adult. I know people in their 20s that are still "teenagers". They're questioning their identities, They still haven't grasped the ideas of taking responsibilities, they are still dealing with knowing how to work in this world, etc.


It may seem like I'm dismissing teenagers here, but I am not. It's a fact of life that everyone goes through. You may already have done this in your teenage years, but life tends to be a bit surprising in this period of time and make you realize that you're still have a lot to go through.

Edit: Also, read this batboy http://www.amazon.com/Adulting-Become-Grown-up-Easy-Steps/dp/1455516902

It may seem like a silly book, but it really helps to figure adulthood out.

 

[Jamash]

Obviously when their age no longer ends with the word "teen".

If you based your definition of teenager and adult on the age of majority and when a country decides someone is legally an adult, then you would end up with silly situations where a 18 year old from the UK would be considered an adult and older than a 20 year old "teenager" from the US (or other place where the age of majority is 21).

 

[Xan Krieger]

You just turned eighTEEN so you're still a teen. You'll still be one when you turn nineTEEN. It's only when you turn twenty that you'll no longer be a teen.

 

[Eddie the head]

I'm pretty sure the consensus is 20. Or at least that's what the porn industry appears to think.

 

[StriderShinryu]

Technically it's obviously when they no longer have "teen" in their age, but mentally I suppose I just consider it as when they are of legal age. It's not really something I think about too much. I know that when I do think of a stereotypical teen I'm thinking more in the range of maybe 13 to 16.

 

[Queen Michael]

When you turn twenty. Like everybody else says.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

Thirty. I feel like more and more in the US today the twenties serve as a time of extended childhood where the kids can drink legally.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Teen is fairly well defined.

OTOH, I don't expect someone to be massively different when they hit 20.

 

[DanielBrown]

When you turn 20.
Even if you're legally an adult at 18 you got no clue how childish you still are(you as in the vast majority). I work with a lot of 18-20 year olds(I'm 24) and it's horrible. x.x

I'm sure the guys at work that are ~30 feel the same way about me.

 

[Story]

Meh, legal adulthood is the more concrete indication to me but boy apparently I'm in the minority.

 

[Sarge034]

Let's see... eighteen, nineteen, twenty. 20 it is. Just think of yourself as a probationary adult until you hit 21, it's easier that way.

 

[Jadak]

The legal age thing is only relevant for not considering someone a 'child' anymore. Doesn't really make sense to stop calling someone a teenager prior to 20, as the term has no meaning beyond referring to years with 'teen' in them.

 

[Zhukov]

Isn't that like asking at what age do you consider someone to no longer be in their twenties?

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

20, obviously. I wonder, how many of our posts in this thread could be considered "low content" since we're all pretty much saying the same thing?