Is voting about age or maturity?
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In this video Sam argues that while lack of information can be a voting risk, this isn’t something only young people struggle with. People of any age can vote without doing research.
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Do you agree that voting should be about maturity rather than age?
Tell us what you think
You might want to structure your answer like this:
I agree / disagree with this idea because [something said in the video].
One reason for my view is [an example about responsibility, fairness, or experience].
However, someone else might argue that [a different point of view].
Make sure you read the comments from other Topical Talkers and respond to someone whose choice or opinion is different from yours.
Comments (94)
I agree with this idea because the video shows that young people are already influenced by government decisions.
One reason for my views is that many 16- and 17- year olds have responsibilities like studying seriously and planning their future, so it is fair to let them vote.
However, some else might argue that they may not have enough experience to understand politics properly.
Some people may disagree, but I feel that if young people can take responsibility for their future, they should also have the right to vote.
I think voting is about maturity because you can be 15 and had already looked into the politics, have done your research, and make your final choice with that information. And an adult cannot look into politics at all and just vote! It's all about your process of thinking. Though maturity can vary from different age groups, a minor can be as informed as an 18 year old.
16-17 could be a good age to start voting because as they're studying and they are planning for their future they're gonna want to vote for a president that will protect them and their rights. And 16-17 year olds are typically more mature than kids in middle school and their process of thinking is generally different. Though it's not 100% guaranteed.
If someone is gonna be responsible with how their future plays out then they can vote.
Some people might be informed, others won't.
I agree with your Discussion because I think that people between the ages of 16 -17 should be able to vote and make critical decision for their self to benefit them and their life so I think they should be allowed to vote .
I think voting is about maturity and not age, because age is just a number. Age doesn't define how much you know about politics or how you think critically. Meanwhile maturity is about awareness and how to think without bringing personal emotions. Most people say, the older you get the more knowledge you receive but I don't think that's guaranteed. Some older voters still vote uninformed or by using their emotions, while some younger voters are more thoughtful and well researched. In todays digital era, younger voters are often exposed to a bigger range of information that the previous generation. and sure, it might lead to misinformation but it also allows them to view multiple perspectives from all around the world and develop strong awareness of global issues. Overall, I don't think voting should be judged by how old someone is, but by their ability to make important and responsible decisions.
I totally agree with you , age is really just a number so it is by maturity, some younge people can be smart and well-informed more than old people . I really liked your comment because this was literally what I wanted to say . Thank you
I agree that voting should be about maturity other than age, because SAM points out that being uninformed isn't just a problem for young people because anyone can vote without researching.
One reason i think this is fair is that many young people already have responsibilities and are affected by political decisions. Age dose't mean someone will vote carefully.
However, i can understand why some people think age limits are important, Since maturity is hard to be measured. What do others think-------should age still matter more than maturity
Thanks for sharing your views highspirited_fruit.
Voting is legitimately tied to age even though the arguments encompassing it is almost, if not entirely about maturity; which I agree with.
Analysis from countries like Australia and china where voting age is 16, suggests that 16 year olds can make more proficient and well versed choices alike in standard to those of older adults.
Researches from more countries still show that 16 and 17 year olds show and demonstrate more levels of maturity when it comes to political engrossment and curiosity, knowledge and consistency in their possible course of action that are similar to voters 18 and above.
So to an extent, I feel my maturity should be considered more when it comes to voting because honestly we have a lot of adults whose mindsets are still like those of little children but still bear the tag of ADULTS.
Let me know what you think
i agree with you , that maturity should be the basis for voting. however, i will like to add, by saying that we can make sure maturity. you said that some 16 and 17 years old already have responsibilities; ! that alone is a criterion for measuring maturity and a person with responsibility can be affected by government decision, hence ,he/she should be able to decide who goes into the government
I think that is good that the minimun age is 18 year however many people is responsable at this ages other people isnt be many responsable .
Hello honorable_explanation, if you were allowed to vote in an election would you? Why or why not?
i partially agree with this comment as i agree with the proposition that some people at the age of 16 may have the level of maturity to take part in democracy , as that is part of our British values . However i use the noun "proposition" in hope to address the fact that maturity in the terms of the right to vote at 16 is not just about politics but , in my opinion , the ability to control your emotional stability . It has been proven by general study institutions such as the implicit associations test ( IAT ) that 90 - 95 percent of 16 year old in my country have unconscious bias , meaning that they have negative emotions towards someone before getting to know them ; based on their appearance. Therefore meaning that most 16 year old can cannot make a decision without their unconscious bias getting in the way , overall suggesting that they do not have the maturity to vote . In a quick summary , (in my country) i believe that the minimum age to be able to vote should be 18 years of age .
Are people subject to unconscious bias whatever age they are? If so, how should this affect voting?
I'm not sure about this because what do you mean when you say that is good that the minimum age for voting is 18 years? In the video, Sam told us that more important thing than age is maturity and I agree with that. He said that 18-years-old can go to military, pay tax and live alone because of education etc. For example, one 15 or 16-years-old can think totally opposite than a 60-year-old man and the younger one can be right and decide better than the older one. I think that people younger than 18 years-old can definitelly take part in voting if they are mature and know what they are choosing. Today, elderly people don't inform a lot because most of them don't use tehnology to learn and check something, but most of the time that is not the case for younger ones. Our generations are really exposed to social media and many different informations and we can read and see a lot of news and informations today. Also, in my school, teachers teech us to think before we do something and I think that is also one important thing - to check and think. About maturity, like I said we don't know how some teenager think and see the world and I think that the age for voting can be lower if the person is informed and mature to choose the best option. Do you agree with me?
I DO AGREE, I don't think age is a factor that should greatly influence voting but the being aware of the changing times the wellbeing of that country or state. the world is changing and this should actually be an eye opener for children within the range of 16 and upwards there are different technological advancements that have been discovered and even more outside the sector of technology. everyone should be responsible and accountable and i think this are qualities to be considered besides adults also make mistakes when choosing the right candidate and when this happens its the general masses that suffer so what is the harm in actually given teenagers a try. this is actually something that involves the eights of children we are overlooked just because we don't contribute to the society yet, the world is in our hands we are the future of tomorrow and i only think its fare that we should also have a say in what goes on in our country.
I agree with this idea because of Sam's statement in the video about you being of any age and not having research and still voting.
Another reason why I agree with this statement is because voting is an act gives power to everyone and requires experience. What I mean is simply the fact that one person's vote can change the narrative, and to me voting is a decision that lasts for a long period of time before it can be changed again. This simply means that if a mistake is made during the process, it lasts for a long time, an inexperienced person may choose a wrong decision during voting and regret it, but made that decision because he wanted to follow what others were saying instead of choosing the best.
However, others may argue that experience may not matter, but think of the population and the number instead of the experience.This is why I support the ideology of voting about maturity not age.
I agree that voting is all about maturity,
In the world of today we all have leaders like presidents, governors and others ruling various countries.
But they can't be ruling us, without us choosing them to be our rulers, so this where voting takes place.
Voting is all about maturity.
when strong mature people come to vote, they know who they are voting for.
Thus someone can be 16 or 17 and can still behave like a 7 years child ,picking someone that does not have the power to rule our country well and develop it.
When a mature person comes to vote in a polling station and hears the manifestos of the competitors, he knows the one who will influence the people or who is trying to manipulate the people saying what is not true and what they would not do.
thanks!!!
In my opinion, maturity surpasses age any day. Voting is merely a process; it is a choice that determines the fate of the society or country we are left in the hands of. To be able to vote responsibly, one must have sufficient knowledge about life and society. An older person may still have the mindset of a young child, as appearance and physical agility can be highly deceptive.
Although, young people are creative and curious, experience wins over youth every time. Young people may have watched videos or documentaries that give them an idea of whom to support, but without real life experiences and encounters, their choices may be misguided. I know many people may disagree with my opinion; however, I think the ability to make sound decisions and choose what's best for the society, regardless of personal gain, is what truly matters. In the end, maturity will always triumph.
I personally think that voting should not be about age but rather maturity. You do not need to be any age before you experience anything that is happening in the society. People vote because they want a better country, a better president, a better governor. Out there there are people who are not even up to 18 , but they understand what people all over the world is facing through. Being mature does not necessarily require age, a 16 year old person can be a mature person likewise not. A 16 year old person might full understand what his or her fellow citizen might be facing through likely because of news or experience, but a 16 year old person cannot. so maturity does not need age because when a person is said to be mature , the person can differentiate from their right and wrong or what is good and bad. Maturity can also be making decisions that will benefit you and the society at large. Some people might think that you have to be 18 years old before you are considered as a mature person but I think it is not supposed to be because an 18 year old person might not be able to make benefiting choices. So this is why i say that voting should be about maturity because there are many people lower than 18 but they are able to make good choices and when allowed will be able to choose right leaders . THANK YOU.
How do you think we can measure maturity?
I feel maturity can be measured by how much the individual knows and understands about his or her environment. In our case, it is the amount of understanding the individual has about politics and his or her rights as a citizen of a country. If majority of the 16- and 17-year-old in a country are politically aware, then I think they should be allowed to vote.
Voting is both based on age and maturity, why?
IN TERMS OF AGE.
Age is not mostly the capacity or the ability to think beyond your grade or others expectation. Rather it requires the standard legal idea of that individual to think beyond being responsible. If age should not be considered during voting, it means anyone of any age be it a baby, an embryo, kids and teens below 15 down words are to take part in voting.
This can happen if allowed and permitted by the constitution ruling such country and their ability and knowledge to experience or take part. Moreover, age is just a number if all that is required for all age to vote legally is available, why should the underaged be deprived of their certain rights.
IN THE ASPECT OF MATURITY
maturity helps you get more qualified knowledge on knowing how to stand on grand for the right thing. Being matured involves a lot of responsible at that is backed up on things that would not just benefit you but also others should be able to benefit from it too. Remember that a considerable number of experts also assert that an individual should not be imposed to manipulation or illegal participation in voting, meanwhile, it's because one needs sufficient cognitive and critical thinking capacities to make political decisions individually as maturity is involved. And in this world, most young individuals tend to be more matured both in ideas, thoughts and action which can result to deciding on the right things the need or want as applied in voting.
To prevent the rule of enforcing voting based on maturity or age constitution is required.
I strongly agree with Sam's ideologies because maturity is not about age. You can be an advanced person in age but still have a very immature way of thinking and lifestyle, whereas you can also be a young individual and be very mature in your way of thinking and lifestyle. I believe that by the age of 16, an individual should be able to identify whom he or she wants to lead and the reasons for that choice. Voting should not be based on age but rather on the maturity of that individual. As soon as that individual is mature enough, not depending on the age, he or she should be allowed to vote. Besides, the whole aim of an election is to get a leader based on the citizen's choices, and that actually involves everyone knowledgeable and mature enough to know who he or she wants as a leader. So yes, I strongly agree with Sam's points. :)
I agree with this idea because, as Sam mentioned in the video, 'maturity is not always the same as age'. What this implies is that although individuals are fine in the physical aspect, which is getting to the age of voting, not all might be psychologically and mentally ready to vote.
One reason for my answer is, for example, in democratic countries like the United Kingdom, people are legally recognised as adults and seen as responsible because it is assumed they are responsible for their decisions and can single-handedly pay tax, etc., but we are basically just judging a book by its cover if we suppose every individual that is 18 and above is automatically responsible and well. However, others might have a different opinion on this because, also using something Sam said earlier, lack of information is a voting risk, but young people don't struggle with it. We can say that is true, but we need to focus on the chance to actually make a difference because, then again, young people might not have the same level of understanding as adults do about the world because children are also not mature enough to see that. Let us look at the opportunity to make accurate and intellectual decisions when we vote. I think voting should be more technical and actually check the people who vote to ensure they are mature to vote and not just physically, but psychologically too.
How do you think we can measure maturity?
Thank you for that question Eva! In my opinion, I think that we can measure maturity by the way we show up in world. It basically depends on our character and the way we reason that proves whether we are mature or not.
Maturity is learning to walk away from people and situations that threaten our peace of mind and self-respect.
I agree that voting should be about maturity rather than age. Reasons because;
Voting is the time of the year (usually after 4 years for countries like the United states, Nigeria, Brazil etc) where people come together to elect someone who would be the head over all the affairs of the country. And considering ages and not the level of maturity of the citizens can bring about regrets and mistakes. And this can be found in situations when young people are allowed to vote and they vote someone that is either related to them, or from their city or maybe just because the person might be the dad or mum to a friend of theirs. These votes were made out of favouritism and not of importance.
Allowing young people who don't have the political knowledge can vote people out of bribe because they won't understand the repercussions of what they did just because they were settled with a specific amount of money or probably because they would get connected with someone popular. And this can only happen because most young people haven't yet gotten to the stage of being able to critically think and differ between two or more close substitutes.
So I strongly believe that voting should be left to those who are mentally sound and updated about what's happening in their country. THANK YOU.
This idea is inspiring!
I strongly agree with this idea because even old people won't come from an informed perspective, just according to their feelings.
A 16 year old person who is deeply engaged in his community, who debates about climate change or justice can be far more prepared to choose a thoughtful vote than a 40-year-old who has never cared to understand the issues shaping their society. Age is just about the "time" lived, while maturity is how "responsible" and "aware" a person i
One reason that clearly shows that voting should be about maturity rather than age is the great responsibility that young people carry. Many young people nowadays organize environmental clean-ups, create school debates about real world problems like social justice or campaigns for climate change. They are reshaping our future, so why don't they have the right to have a clear voice in voting not just "background noise". The dictatorship they are facing is discouraging them and making them feel ignored. So, I really appreciate that the UK will lower the age of voting and I believe this should happen in all countries.
From my point of view, voting becomes stronger when more voices and more perspectives join.
However, someone else might argue that young people shouldn't have the right to vote in important decisions because they can be influenced by others' opinions easily and that they don't have the experience to vote in the elections for example. I disagree with them as it is their future and there is no relation between age and having the experience to vote in the elections.
I agree with this idea because maturity isn't measured by your age, your age doesn't define how smart or mature or how much politics you understand. How you think,voice your opinion and act does though.One reason for my view is that there are alot of stereotypes about young people not being smart enough or well informed to vote,but as Sam said in the video, 16 and 17 year olds are nowadays in some places getting married,paying taxes and even have jobs.This shows how responsible 16-17 year old can be and how they can take hold of their future and thrive ,even though they are young
.Even though there is a spread of misinformation, this can be avoided to allow people of all ages to get the right and true information. Even people who are older are influenced by the media, and receive misinformation which influences their vote. Young people and this new generation have a voice that needs to be heard, the future of our government and society is in our hands and it is up to us to voice our opinions. Democracy is for the people and for everyone to make decisions concerning the government, teens are people too and we have voices that need to be heard. Maturity and the emotional awareness of what's going on in the world doesn't have an age.
However, others might disagree and say that 16 and 17 year olds are too young and inexperienced , but I feel that sometimes experience doesn't always have to matter in some areas of life like voting because of digital media that is right at our finger tips to reach and understand which doesn't require experience.
I agree because with you because voting is about age and maturity, but age is the official requirement. Voting requires maturity because a voter is expected to think critically, understand national issues, and make political choices. Maturity helps voters to avoid being influenced by money, ethnic, religion, or misinformation. However maturity cannot be measured objectively. And because of this, societies use age as a legal qualification for voting. Age provides a clear, uniform, and fair standards that applies equally to all citizens. At a certain age (usually 18), individuals are legally recognized as adults and are assumed to have attained the minimum level of maturity required for civic responsibility. Therefore, while maturity is important in principle, age is used in practice to determine eligibility to vote because it ensures quality, simplicity, and prevents discrimination. In conclusion voting is ideally about maturity, but legally it is based on age since age is the most practical and fair criterion.
THANK YOU!!!!!
I agree because... 16 and 17 years old are not too young or not inexperienced most of them can be able to have access to online things or social media and check if any information is true unlike others that don`t check if any information is real. But thy don`t require experience.
I think that maturity is the key elemnt when it comes to voting. If age was taken in consideration,then voting will be a matter of the ability of the candidates to play on the needs of the age he is targetting. Think of that,teen at the age of 16 have specific characteristics related to their physiological and psychological development. If a candidtae succeed to understand this fact,then his compaign will play on the ears of these teens,abusing their lack of knowledge and mking use of their energy about trands,fashions and whatever teens are addicted to.Mature people who may have the righ to vote will be able to see things clearly enough and to make correct decisions. There must be some guarantees that the young age voters will be protected from logical fallacies and are put or the right track and since this is close to ipossible,I see that preparing informed older voters is worth the effort being put there.
I partly agree with the idea that voting should be about maturity rather than just age, because maturity is what helps people understand issues, think critically, and make responsible decisions. Some young people are very aware of politics, society, and how decisions affect others, while some older adults may not be interested or informed at all. From that point of view, age doesn’t always reflect how ready someone is to vote.
However, the problem is that maturity is very hard to measure fairly. Age is a clear, simple rule that applies to everyone equally, even if it’s not perfect. If voting depended on “maturity tests,” it could become biased or unfair, and some people might be excluded unjustly. That’s why most countries rely on age as a practical solution.
So overall, while maturity matters more in theory, age works better in practice. A good compromise might be focusing more on education and awareness, so that when people reach voting age, they’re actually prepared to vote responsibly.
I totally agree that voting should not be dedicated to a specific age group because basically this should be an equal sample size of the whole population of the country, so would it be as fair enough if only citizens 18 and above could volunteer with their say?
The whole world is evolving as Gen Z and Gen alpha are coming to rise, so it isn't really the same anymore. Maturity is when a person is fully aware of all occurring events whether political, economical, environmental and more, so does Maturity reach its maximum at the same age for each and every person? Short answer is No; currently, most youth are aware and educated of their surroundings through social media platforms online or campaigns in the news, so that's simply why I think that teens should be updated on what's new with their country. Additionally, I think that it's not guaranteed for people above 18 to be " more mature" than people under 18, for example, a responsible 15 or 17 year old teen could certainly be more mentally mature than a careless 18 or 20 year old, right? So this isn't really an equal case.
I do agree with Sam that it has nothing to do with age, it is all just related to maturity and responsibility.
I would also like to add that although some young people under 18 could be aware and mature enough, but does that make them interested in voting in a very formal election? What do you think?
I agree with what Sam said in the video about maturity not being about age, and how “you don't have to be young to have potentially a not very informed opinion." The reason for my view is I think that, in terms of politics, adults are much more susceptible to the spread of and exposure to fake news.
Some might argue that things like TikTok (with many more younger users) will involve much more fake news, but I don't think that it's fair to assume that all younger people are automatically categorized into a box titled, “not mature enough to vote" based simply off of their age, because older people are also susceptible to misinformation.
There are two main reasons why I think older people are also, if not - more, susceptible to misinformation:
-they are generally less digitally experienced, and so are more likely to believe fake news, because they can't distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources online
-older people generally have already made up their opinions and views on certain things and so if they see information that backs up their opinion, they are likely to believe it, without checking if it is true (called partisanship, meaning you are already favorable towards a specific cause)
In conclusion, I do think that it is not right to say all teenagers aren't mature enough to vote, just because of their age, because voting is about maturity, and just like Sam said, voting is to do with maturity, and age is not always related to maturity.
I agree that voting is not about age, however, it depends on maturity and your ability to think creatively, critically and out of the box. Making informed decisions is really hard without being fully mature.
Think about it like that:
You’re old enough to vote in your country but you’re not mature; what should you do??
First of all, voting is not about your rights but about responsibility. Being responsible on something you’re not fully informed of can lead to hazards (voting towards something that isn’t your interest, short and long-term consequences, etc)
Second of all, if you want to vote, like an addiction to voting but you’re not mature, you can do many things so that you’re ready and responsible:
1. In my own point of view, you can use AI and tech or ask a matured adult to explain the issue and candidates (Never get shy to ask someone, as long as it’s the right time).
2. You can always listen to a variety of points of view because this adds more to your overall experience.
3. Think critically before choosing or voting, you need to think for at least half an hour to make sure whatever you’re choosing is right and to the point (of course you can change your mind in this step, but before voting).
Last but not least, being responsible in voting and choosing your right choice is always the best and makes voting meaningful.
Someone might disagree because being mature isn’t something easy to handle and it’s your right to vote as long as you’re old enough. That’s completely fine, but try following the steps I stated to take voting to the next level.
⸻
I think voting should be more about maturity than age. Age can give experience, but it doesn’t automatically mean someone understands issues or thinks carefully about their choices. Some younger people follow news, research topics, and think critically, while some older people vote based on habit or emotions. What really matters is whether a person can understand different opinions, check facts, and think about long-term consequences. If someone is mature enough to form an independent opinion and respect democracy, their voice deserves to be heard. Voting works best when people vote responsibly, not just because they reached a certain age.
Bye bye
I think voting is about maturity because a 18 year old is old enough to vote ,however if that 18 year old has the mental maturity of a 5 year old then they would just be voting for a random political party having no clue about what they are doing . Also they oils not have anybody to help them vote or explain political party’s to them so they could end up voting multiple political party’s. And the 18 year old could also look over the dividers and see what the person next to them is voting .
I agree that voting should be more about maturity than age, like Sam says in the video, because not knowing enough about politics isn’t just a young people problem.
Adults can vote without researching too, and that can be just as risky. I’ve seen grown-ups vote just because they like a leader’s personality or a slogan, not because they checked what the policies actually do.
One reason I think maturity matters is responsibility. Some 16-year-olds already have jobs, pay tax, or help take care of siblings, which means they understand how decisions affect real life. Meanwhile, some older people might never read the news or only listen to one opinion. That shows age doesn’t equal good decision-making.
However, someone else might argue that maturity is hard to measure, and age is an easy rule that treats everyone the same. I get that, because you can’t exactly give everyone a maturity test. But I still think lowering the voting age could push young people to learn more about politics earlier, especially if schools teach how to spot misinformation.
So for me, voting isn’t really about how old you are; it’s about how seriously you take the choice, and people of any age can be good or bad at that.
I agree with this idea because people should have a maturity to differentiate misinformation and one reason for my view is the age for it is more than 18 years as it is the time when they get maturity to differentiate the miss information so they could be able to vote the right person but reducing the age is indirectly means letting the mellowed people to vote they can easily fall as a prey for misinformation so all the countries should maintain the rule of voting ability for above 18 years.
However summit argue with me that 16 to 17 years old people can also vote so that so that the need of privileges for them can be fulfilled but are there really enough matured to understand politics in some scenarios when they meet any political people and interact with them few things are always not been exposed by the political peoples as they also think that they are mellowed people so they can't understand politics .
I believe that voting should be based on maturity. I say this because the upcoming generation is becoming very mature and aware. They are developing emotionally and socially, thereby behaving like young adults. A very simple example is a child apologising for breaking a toy or even cleaning up after herself at a young age; sometimes the little wins matter too. Another example is a young child knowing the right path or person to follow. In the context of voting, a child or young adult can do research on all the candidates and make his or her pick.
I agree.
Voting should not be based on age alone , but also on maturity , there are a lot of young minds out there that know a lot about what is happening in his or her country and have there own perspective on politics. Being matured at a very young age helps in better and strong decision making which that is very essential and a major concept in politics , which with that making a very good decision at a very young and tender age will help young people to live the longest with the repercussion of today's policy decision.
Another advantage of voting at 16 is that the students nowadays that are enrolled in civic and government classes know a lot about politics and the history of their own country, which allows them to vote and provide a direct practical application of what they are learning, which can boost confidence in democratic systems.
I agree that voting should be about maturity and not age because I believe that age does not determine how mature a person is. Bryon Katie once said "we don't mature through age; we mature through awareness". And apparently, in the world, there are lots of young people(around the age of 16-18) who are more politically aware than some adults.
Nowadays, young people(speaking about the age gap of 16 to 18 years) are highly politically aware because the internet makes it very easy to research and with that lots of young people can get useful information about politics.
And not only in the aspect of politics, teenagers are very exposed nowadays due to availability of information all over the internet, and I believe that most teenagers especially from the age of 16 have phones.
From my perspective, I believe that voting should be about maturity and not just age. But if you think otherwise, I would like to hear your opinion💯.
Maturity is the ability to assess objectively, understand sophisticated issues, analyse different perspectives and make decisions based on reason or justification rather than impulse or emotions. Meanwhile, age is just the length of time a person has lived for. Though age is commonly used as the major certification for voting, I feel like eligibility to vote should be contingent on maturity rather than just chronological age because voters that are mature enough would make proper research before voting anyone. If maturity was emphasised, voting would be more enlightening and responsible because the people voting would have better understanding of issues around them, and they would be thinking of the long-run not just the immediate effect of voting for someone. It would also be hard to manipulate a mature voter because they who and what they want and only justified reasons can change their mind not popularity or impulse. I feel like if one is mature enough from the age of 15 or 16, the person should be allowed to vote.
THANK YOU.
That's an interesting idea. You said that if a person is mature enough at 15 or 16, they should be allowed to vote, but how would you measure and assess that they are mature enough?
Well in my own opinion voting should be based on maturity not by age .
Age is a physical process that every human being undergoes but maturity is the way a human has the ability to handle situations with their minds , that is from my own point if view.
How can you be 30 and above but you do not know how to manage money because you have it at abundance. No you can not spend it well but with a matured mind you will be thinking on how to invest that money. So voting should not be by age but by maturity because matured minds make the best choices. Thank you.
I think voting is about maturity because nowadays youngsters often take to social media platforms and say that doing things like voting is a kind of maturity. However,maturity is when one can take decisions in a correct way. For example, if a famous actor enters politics, their young fan club will follow them blindly. In this case, there will be a lack of maturity. As some people say "Age is just a number", I agree with their statement but,maturity over age very important because,it's the time when a youngster will realise, what's happening around the world?.
In this modern era, some people think that ignoring their parents is a kind of maturity, but maturity starts when a person stands by their independent thinking.
There is a simple mathematical truth that explains maturity beautifully,"One multiplied by zero is zero and one lakh multiplied by zero is still zero"
No matter how big the number is, if the base is zero, the result is nothing. In the same way, education, age, fame, or voting power mean nothing if maturity is zero. Without maturity, even the biggest opportunities lose their value. So, maturity manifests people to be a good citizen!
maturity is not about age or having everything figured out, it is about how someone shows himself in the world.
A mature person is someone who knows the meaning of responsibility and how to take it also a mature person must know that all life problem can have you to win or to lose.
In the condition of the lose, a mature person would think of how he lost and why he lost.
What would you think he’ll do if he won?
He won’t stop and rest, he’ll complete to arrive to his destiny in his life.
I agree with Sam because age is just how old you are. You could be an adult with no research or a child that is fully prepared. However, maturity is key to being responsible. Kids that leave primary/elementary school leave and walk home. This shows a bit of maturity. But adults underestimate children. They think we don't have what it takes to vote democratically. They assume that we are not mature enough to be democratic. It is a stereotype to judge children when they might be more mature than some adults.
In conclusion, I agree with Sam's idea. They should let children to vote.
I think voting is about maturity not age however often maturity comes as you grow up. While I believe some 16-17 years olds have enough maturity to vote not all of them do.If we were to lower the voting age I think our schools would need to become more involved in politics so people can have a better understanding or who there voting for.
I feel that maturity should matter more than age when it comes to voting. It's not always being older that makes you better at making decisions. Some may argue that being older means that you have more experience, but not everyone learns from their past experiences.
So, in conclusion, maturity should be prioritized over age.
Could you explain how maturity is measured?
Great question! I feel that maturity can be determined by how a person thinks, acts and reacts in different scenarios. One way I think that the maturity of the electorate is through an aptitude test that will ensure that they are completely capable of voting.
This can maybe even make it possible for children as young as 10 years old to vote. This is because passing the test, means they are capable of making good choices despite their young age.
I hope this completely answers your question.
Great question! I feel that maturity can be determined by how a person thinks, acts and reacts in different scenarios. One way I think that the maturity of the electorate is through an aptitude test that will ensure that they are completely capable of voting.
This can maybe even make it possible for children as young as 10 years old to vote. This is because passing the test, means they are capable of making good choices despite their young age.
I hope this completely answers your question.
voting should be more of maturity because we can not just start making decisions with out verifying weather they are convenient for the individual the decisions is for, age is just a number and I believe in this because it can not tell about you ability as an individual. maturity is not just a word rather it comes with full responsibilities and expects people to take up roles made for them.
talking about maturity in voting, it is needed so that individuals who vote will not only do it because they want to but will do it because it is the best way of picking their leaders. not all age in human stage is matured and that is why choosing the voting stage should be done by considering the most matured stage in the human. when voting is done based on maturity it could yield more result and individuals will be less manipulated.
I agree with the idea that voting should be based on maturity rather than age , as Sam explains in the video that lack of information is not only a problem among the young people. People of any age can vote without researching properly, so age alone does not guarantee responsible voting.
One reason for me saying this is because of responsibility. Many 16- and 17-year-olds already make serious decisions in their daily lives that directly affect them. Some young people actively follow the news, research political issues, and understand how government decisions affect their lives. At the same time time, there are adults who vote based on emotions, habits, or misinformation, which shows that age doesn't equal maturity.
However, others might feel that like the congenial strategy, that younger voters can be easily influenced by trends or political manipulation. While this can happen, it is not limited to young people. Adults are also influenced by media, propaganda, and personal bias. This is why maturity, critical thinking and information matter more than age.
In conclusion, voting should be about how informed, responsible and thoughtful a person is, not simply how old they are.
Is voting about age or maturity is a very critical question but it is going to be answered. first, to me voting is not about age is about maturity. there some people whose age has passed 25 but still don't know how to decide on their own. why because they still depend on what people think is the truth. some student @ 11 yrs old has more sense in voting than the others who feel they are up to 18 but can make decision on their own. So i think that 'em voting is not bad so let know that voting is not about age but maturity
I think voting should be about maturity rather than age. Maturity lets you think further than just voting for an answer. Some people might say or assume someone older has more knowledge rather than younger ones, but see it like this. If you go inside a classroom filled with kids sharing the same age, you can see that some are mature, always listening to the teacher and always focused on studying. But in the same classroom there are also some who only goes to school to play around, never caring about academics. And that does not only happen to one classroom but all, even in different grades and schools. That proves that age doesn't matter because everyone is different and has they're own levels of maturity. So, I think age doesn't define your opinions.
You raise a great point about differing maturity levels. If we were to change things based on your idea, what would a new voting system look like?
I strongly agree with this idea because many older people who are eligible to vote sometimes rely on beliefs they grew up with and don’t always look at new information or different perspectives. I think voting should be done by people who are informed, open-minded, and able to think about an issue from more than one point of view before choosing the most responsible option.
Recently, a lot of young people have started paying more attention to politics. They protest, speak up, and share their opinions because they feel connected to what’s happening and know it will affect their future. Since most teenagers between 13 and 15 don’t have jobs, they spend a lot of time on social media. With everything going on in the world, social media has become one of the fastest ways to spread political awareness. When teens see these topics repeatedly, they naturally start getting curious, learning more, and forming their own opinions.
Social media also gives everyone a voice. People can share their thoughts, experiences, and perspectives, which helps others understand different sides of the same issue instead of just one version of the story.
I understand why some people might disagree with this idea because they think young people are too influenced by social media or lack life experience. While that can be true in some cases, I believe being willing to learn, question information, and understand different perspectives matters more than age alone when it comes to making responsible decisions.
Why could it be problematic to vote based only on the knowledge you grew up with instead of current information?
I agree with the idea that voting is not about how old you are, but rather that it is about how mature you are. Sam argues that you can be of any age, and not be well informed, which is true in my mind. One could be well into their voting age, and be swayed by online ruses, as well as be very uniformed and not think carefully into their decisions. To add to this point, could you not also have an ambitious and well informed 16 year old that is ready to vote? I feel that we as young people should get more of a say. After all, we are going to become the economy of the future.
However, some may argue that 16 year olds are not fit for voting due to their young and quite possibly not developed views on the world. Yes, it is true that due to the rise of social media we find the younger generation not looking at all sides of the story and only listening to one viral video across the internet. But how many adults do we find that also focus on one trending idea that too are not arguably 'ready' to vote due to their one-sided opinions?
To conclude, I agree with Sam. He states that 'you can be of any age and not have done your research'. This is a statement that I personally think is a very true view that I too take. However, I think that our society as a whole should stop being swayed by one opinion, and look at the whole story, as the world can be a very indecipherable place sometimes for young people and adults alike.
You raise a compelling point, and I agree people of all ages can be swayed by a single opinion. What practical steps do you think would have to happen for a society to exist that does look at the whole story?
I think that that question is a very interesting one - as it is practically impossible to 'create a law' that solves this problem of social media making people believe uniformed, one-sided opinions. If we were motivated enough as a society to realise that maybe we do not always look at everything and instead believe a viral idea, then we would definitely be heading in the direction of looking at the whole story. However, this is an unattainable idea that could only exist in a utopian world. That would never work. People themselves will never stop trying to 'fit in' with these viral thoughts online. However, we can start by taking smaller steps.
The news themselves can often be one - sided. If everyone was always looking at one major news company that only writes positive ideas about one political party, then obviously that party would have a greater chance of winning the election. So if the news companies themselves were pushed harder to create news stories that state facts, rather than opinions, we would already be getting a more informed group of voters.
However, this by no means stops people from being swayed from social media. Although, if the government were to ban under sixteens from using social media, we might find the younger people being more open to different opinions, which would help the next generation of voters to not always be actively listening to one voice and idea.
Therefore, I believe that pushing the news harder to use facts, and banning social media for under sixteens would be some practical steps to help people look at the whole story.
I agree with this statement because like Sam said, teens 16 and up are able to do other basic legal things in certain circumstances, such as getting married, joining the military, and can pay their own taxes.
One of the reasons for my view is the local walkout ICE protests that students have been conducting over the past few weeks. It shows a sense of understanding fairness, and a sense of responsibility to be able to return to class afterwards by students as young as the age of 11. So if preteens can understand unfair treatment to other citizens and communicate well enough with their peers to be able to stage walkouts in a peaceful way, I believe that 16 year olds can handle the weight of voting for someone who is going to decide how their future will look.
Now, it is fairly discussed that teens aren't well educated in politics. Most of the students staging these walkouts get most of their information from social media or news reports and go along with it instead of researching. So I think that schools should add lessons or classes about the things going on in the world for certain grades, so that kids can be well informed and have a better understanding of the world.
However, someone else may argue that teens don't have the same mental capabilities that a 18 or 21 year old may have, or that teens may not be informed enough on candidates or not do enough research on who it is that they are voting for.
Nonetheless I still believe that younger teens the voting age should be lowered and that 16 year olds should have a say in who is going to be in charge of their future.
I disagree... because you say that 16 years are up to doing other certain legal things like getting married this I disagree because
young teens around 16 years if they get married it will bring calamity to the world because 16 years can't run a family
what pre teens actually think is unfair to them are those things that will drill them and make them better citizens in the future this shows that if adult didn't take care of us we will drill ourselves with bad character
if we put politics above our education how would we get the knowledge to make the right decision
IN MY OWN OPINION I THINK WE SHOULD LEAVE THE VOTING AGE WHERE IT IS STANDING BECAUSE VOTING IS INDEED ABOUT MATURITY THANKS
I don't agree because not every 16 year old understands the government
I agree that understanding how the government works is important. It's an interesting point that makes me wonder: do you think all adults who are allowed to vote fully understand how the government works?
I disagree. Kids shouldn't vote because they mostly get their information from the internet or the news. It could be wrong. People can use it to trick people and make them think that it's real. Kids can easily get tricked by that. If you're talking about older and more mature adults they can see the things that kids or young adults can't see. I know some people would disagree because they think that kids have more knowledge, but I think kids shouldn't vote. The only time young adults can vote is if you're 18 or up.
I agree with this idea because we don't have to do anything that's not been accomplished for all ages.
One reason for views is that 16-17 yr olds have many responsibilities, And it's not based on ages, Like in the video, You don't have to be in the military or be in the airport or get married somehow or can so-so pay taxes or maybe something like that.
However, Someone else might argue that there's not much to do based on age. It's not really fair for them.
But I feel like that it should be fair for all ages, including teens, adults and kids. Although, in the video, it said, " You don't have to be young to be potentially not a very informed opinion." This tells me that we don't have to be young to give a lot of information. but I feel like it should be fair for all ages to be able to fit in.
I agree with the idea because age doesn't really have that much of an impact on people's choices. It's not physical age that matters, it's mental age.
By that I mean that someone could be physically a 12-year-old person, while actually their mentality and way of thinking rivals that of a 17 or even 18 year old. It can also be reversed, and I don't mean this in any rude or unkind way, but that might just be how people are. We are all neurodivergent and our brains work differently. So someone might be physically a 12-year-old, yet they might think like a 9/10 year old.
Also, as said in the video, it's not only young people who can be misinformed. Older people can have limited knowledge as well, so it is not fair to say that for instance all 16/17 year-olds are misinformed or don't have a clue what's going on in the world. Because in reality, age actually has no effect on that. It is just a number that counts how old your body is, not how old your brain is.
However, someone else might argue that if we do indeed judge it by mentality and not age, that will make it a lot harder because there is no set "normal" when it comes thinking and maturity. Therefore, it could just be easier to judge people by age.
Overall, everything has its pros and cons, but I personally think lowering the age was a good idea as it allows more views to be heard and taken into consideration.
Bye topical talkers!
I partly agree with this idea because I also think that people from all ages can be misinformed or don't do any research, and I also believe it's about maturity. However, I don't think 16-year-olds should vote because they aren't mature enough and aren't enough educated, mainly.
Firstly, it's true that how prepared you are to an election might not depend on age. Besides, there's people much older than others that can be much immature compared to the firsts.
Nonetheless, we can't know how mature is someone by their age, so implementing voting for 16-year-olds will lead in many people voting and participating that aren't prepared, interested or educated. This means that as we can't make an exam for people to prove how mature they are and we can't separate the ones which are prepared and the others, the best option is to maintain the age range a bit upper so at least these people are enough educated.
In conclusion, I believe that although the most important feature is maturity, as in the reality applying only voting if you are mature is very difficult to implement, we should keep it as it is, having the age with an orientative maturity of the population. At least, that's what I think it's logic and practical for the real environment.
I agree that voting should be more about maturity rather than age. I think this because, some 16-17 year olds should be able to vote because they have matured enough to be able to make the right decisions and be sensible.
It isn’t fair to the older teenagers which have matured enough to vote carefully and listen to arguments that could make them change their decisions.
However, someone else may argue that age does matter and voting should be done by age. They may think different because they have listened to peoples arguments and decided on their decisions that way.
Voting should definitely be about maturity rather than age because not everyone can make informed decisions about their beliefs and the politicians who fulfill their goals.
Coming from a school that is from sixth to twelfth grade, you would think that students in younger grades aren't as cognizant and haven't 'lived long enough' to understand the world's current state, but I disagree. I've met some of the most open-minded students and had enlightening conversations with those who are empathetic enough to understand and responsible with how they express themselves. In my opinion, it would be unfair to generalize the youth based on an outdated stereotype.
However, someone else might argue that their lack of experience should undermine a young individual's ability to have a say in government. In these last few weeks, students, from as young as elementary, in the U.S. have organized protests and walkouts to express their opinions and political beliefs. For me, to see how these young people go out of their way to spread awareness and be part of a movement that many disagree with is truly inspiring and mature.
Hence, maturity outweighs a voter's age in the impact a voter can make. After all, maturity is an attitude adopted by the willingness to listen and explore to make informed decisions!
You make a compelling argument of young people holding and defending matured views, underscored by recent events, and I agree this is a great example. What do you mean by "maturity outweighs a voter's age in the impact a voter can make" when a single vote counts as a single vote?
Hello! Thank you for your reply. I appreciate the time and effort you took to read my response. Although my verb use doesn't describe my intentions accurately, I do agree with you that votes are singularly counted! My concluding sentences refer to my overall theme that voting is more about maturity and the ability to think critically, rather than an individual's physical age, meaning their level of maturity can influence how society changes based on the officials elected into government and their reforms aligning with public perspectives.
That makes sense, and you make a robust argument that young yet mature voters can contribute meaningfully to the diplomatic process. How would you distinguish whether a young person is sufficiently mature or not that their impact is a positive contribution to the voting process?
I disagree with The statement because I don't think older people are at risk .They don't have time for social media, but the young people are on social media always; they see every incident that happens. while older people wait to hear the news of the incident on newspaper , after the information may have been verified.
That's an interesting distinction you make between social media and newspapers. You mention that information in newspapers may have been verified, which is a good point. It makes me wonder, do you think information in newspapers is always completely neutral, or can newspapers sometimes have their own point of view or bias?
I believe voting depends on both. It does not just rely on age but it also includes maturity, awareness, and the ability to make informed decisions. Even though it is perceived that those within the younger age group are likely to follow the crowd and be influenced, I still don't agree because in my country, majority of the younger ones are more informed on the happenings in the society and their stands and also, what they want.
As the country is full of corruption and encroachment, the younger ones have grown to see how the decisions of the older ones have affected them and how having a say could change the narratives.
So, I believe that voting involves age, maturity and having understanding of what is happening in the society.
I agree with the idea because maturity doesn't follow the same rules as age. Some adults might not be capable of choosing what to eat without panicking, due to a mental condition, so these people are good by age but not maturity. While some kids out there don't have a good social communication because of a certain type of ASD (autism spectrum disorder, which can lead to you thinking they aren't that mature while they hold information about various different topics you might not know about enough to fill a library to the brim and are more mature that you am, aside from the age difference.
A reason for this is, if a seventeen year-old can open a company full of employees, pay taxes and bills, live alone in a luxurious house, manage expenses and in some countries even drive, how are they not old enough to vote if they are better in managing life and expenses that most adults could. Ab example could be *Alina Morse*, an entrepreneur who made 1 million dollars at the age of 13 as well as the founder and CEO of zolli candy at the age of 10. A girl like this is 10x as mature as any adult will ever be.
I think that the government should give maturity test to anyone willing to do age-related things such as voting to observe the capabilities of the maturity of the person as age isn't a qualified variable. This is why the word prodigy was invented, to describe a minor as a person with capabilities higher than an adult.
an interesting idea of a maturity test, would this replace or work alongside a minimum voting age?
I thought that everybody needs a chance, even if they are too young because maybe, just maybe, they could be the next prodigy and become a scientist just because of this little opportunity.
The maturity test would contain 200-1000 to prevent luck playing in. The amount of questions would different as of the age. The person's history would matter a lot to picking the question and even if will the person get the test, so if the teen was involved in a fight/crime, his odds of passing would be reduced.
So the answer to your question is: it would replace it but you have to be older than 3 years to prevent wasted resources.
I agree with you, because, as you mentioned, maturity is a non-linear trait, and a cognitive and functional metric. One reason is the example of responsibility, like Alina Morse.
I also agree with this because
A it will add loads more votes
B so people are not left out
I personly think the age from voting should be 10 but will need an adults super vision and not bye themselfs otherwise they could press something that they should not press
Infants and children lack the ability to understand the political issues, or make decision that has been informed. Voting is not meant for random one. Voting is tied to a citizens responsibility like paying taxes or obeying the laws. These responsibilities don`t apply to newborns. If voting started at birth the parents can influence their children.
I think 16-17 year old have responsibilities like being good and kind so it it is fair to let them vote like 10 year old's might be gooooood because they are sensible like 18 year old's .
However people may agree or disagree they might feel happy or scared
From gregarious_lemon :] :3
i agree because i think that people who are 16 or 17 have a responsibilities to make a goverment
i agree voting is not all about your age grade but about maturity take for example 2 years ago during the election in Nigeria i was taken by my father to the place where people voted, and i saw a 14 years old girl voting for an elderly and i was amazed and asked my self where am i and i stooped to think its not all about the age its about the length of maturity so al i am trying to say is tha voing is not all about the age but maturity and its possible for a 50 years man is not mature enough to votein some cases
I feel both are needed. Reason because after reading so many comments, one cannot fully say for sure whether someone is mature or not. It has already been established that maturity is needed when making sensitive decisions, but the issue is to check who is mature and who is not, and that is why the age bracket is used. Because it is believed that after living for so long, you should have gotten some wisdom and knowledge in issues like this. Yes many youths can make better decisions in these cases than adults, but it does not change the fact that majority can not. With someone still dependent on their parents making BIG decisions like that, plus with all the vices in teenage hood that make it one of the biggest stages in your life(especially nowadays), one would question whether this is a good decision or not. To lower the age bracket for voting is to make sure that the people you are involving have been proven to wise and careful enough to make decisions like this. Adults have proven themselves, so we need to as well if we are to get a say on how are country is governed. To sum it up, one definitely needs to be mature enough to vote, but age is also a very important factor when considering the issue of maturity.(also, I decided to change the comment box from a question to a normal box, and I copied then pasted my comment to save time. I did not know it would be an issue. Sorry if it causes any inconvenience).
I agree that,
Voting is all about maturity in the sense that matured people have values or life wanting goals whether positive or negative depending on his background, story of life and other activities or factors that happened in his life.
In the positive side of goals we have goals like entrepreneurs , civil engineers, doctors or electing a good leader or being a good leader.
While, some of the negative side of goals are lust, night club party and bar.
In the positive side, values like electing a good leader ,a matured person can do that, not because of age but in brain.
Thanks for reading.
Is age more important than your responsibility? Should people be able to vote, even if they are young? From my perspective, I believe that young people should have just as much of a right as older people. Who made being young = being immature! In the video, Sam talks about stereotypes about how many people think that the younger the age, the less knowledge about the outside world. As a young person, this is absolutely NOT true, in fact I believe that older people are more uninformed than younger people!
During the lesson we were asked a question asking what age group would be the most uninformed, with the youngest age group being 16-25, and the oldest 60+. Well in my opinion, I believe the 60+ age group of people are the most uneducated. Age does not decipher knowledge, just like how in the video, Sam stated that you can be any age and not be educated. I believe younger ages are more likely to be more educated. This does not mean that ALL old age groups are uninformed, same as younger ages as well. Think about it this way, is an old person more likely to get scammed, or a young kid?
In conclusion, to fix this problem, I suggest we make a test, to make sure voters are educated. If they pass, they get to vote for whatever election they are participating in, but if they fail, they cannot vote. This solution fixes the problem of uneducated voters. The test takers can be 6 years old, or 60 years old, as long as they are educated enough to pass. What is your opinion? Which one do you think is more important, age or maturity?
What is more important in voting, your age or your maturity? I believe you shouldn't be judged by your age, and being mature and responsible is more important than your age in voting. I agree with what Sam said in the video, no matter what your age is, you can still be immature or mature.
In the video, it said, "You can be any age and not do research." Your age doesn't affect your research, nor does your age affect your responsibility. There are many stereotypes against people who are young, known as them being "childish and immature". Just because one young person is immature doesn't always mean all the other youngsters are. It's just like saying, if one adult is professional, then all the others are too. Everyone has different levels of maturity, no matter if you are younger than 10 or if you are older than 30.
Sam stated in the video, "16-17 year olds have been getting jobs, paying taxes, and getting married." This explains that 16-17 year olds are more responsible than ever. It doesn't matter about your age, it matters about how you express your maturity. If they can do responsible things, then their age wouldn't matter. In my lesson, we voted on the ages that were the most misinformed. 16-25 was the youngest and the least voted, while the oldest, 60+, was the most voted. This means 16-17 year olds are more mature and educated.
In conclusion, maturity is more important than age in voting. Everyone has rights, no one should be looked at differently because of their age in voting.
I agree with this statement because when you vote, you need multiple things: maturity, information, and responsibility . I also agree with this idea because of what Sam said in the video shown, "You can be any age and not have done your research." in my opinion I find that maturity is more important than age. However, someone else might argue that "If you're older, you will know more about what's happening around you," except that since things around you can change very rapidly. That's why it's good to be informed, because if you have done your research, you can make good decisions even if you're young.
Except, when you are young you are more prone to believing things your parents said, or what they have seem on social media. Which can lead them to making a good candidate look like a bad candidate. But, not all teenagers are like this, other teenagers may have done more research and have more information.
In conclusion, I find when voting maturity is more important than age.
Just a quick thought: we could add a little more detail here and there to bring the ideas to life. It would give people a better sense of what we're going for, and make sure everything is clear."I think that voting should be about maturity and not actually a specific age."You know, we all have our own thoughts and things we've been through. It's funny how age doesn't always tell you much about how grown-up someone really is.Some of the kids today really get big issues.They're capable of their own thoughts.Then again, some folks who are a bit older might not really keep up with current events.We shouldn't just focus on how old someone is, because there are a lot of young people who are prepared to make a real impact.When you vote, you're just sharing what you think.Everyone should be included, even if they seem really grown-up.Nobody should be stopped from voting just because of how old they are.No matter their age, everyone should get to speak their mind.
Well said, appreciative_goat, but it could be sensible to say that maturity will, of course, differ among different youths, because they have their own intellectual abilities, and to differentiate is really impossible at this point, which is why the government has to settle with a certain age, to balance the matter, and to bring the most sensible option to life. Not everyone in this case should vote, because with all of the good sides, there are still the group of people who will of course use this to advantage, and rig these elections, because of the downside that these minds can be manipulated, so there should be youthful, respectful age, like 15 or 16, to ensure people have the freedom to express their rights as sensible young people.
I believe the voting age should be lowered, because many teenagers are alI off opportunities are opened to this age group, participation can look practical and structured. Schools could invite students to sit on advisory groups for campus safety, mental health supports, or curriculum feedback. Local councils could include youth seats on committees about public transport routes, parks, sports facilities, and library services, since teens are frequent users of these spaces. Volunteer programs and internships could also be designed to accept 15- to 17-year-olds with clear supervision and training, so the experience is safe and meaningful.
In my opinion,I think it's its maturity.My reason is because when people get older,they get more mature due to puberty,etc.But age is objective but maturity looks different in different kinds of people because teens can be mature,but other teens might not so that gives a reason on why maturity is better than age.
While I do believe that the age of voting should be lowered (or outright removed), we cannot base any law based off of maturity because maturity is not an objective thing. If you were to integrate it into law books, then it would be widely impractical since you cannot measure maturity.
Additionally, age provides a clear line which is understood by everybody. Imagine if the age of consent was based off of maturity... I think you see where I'm going with this. In my view, voting is not about age or maturity or research or wellbeing. It is a fundamental democratic right to any citizen of a free nation. If a 6-year-old somehow knows about voting then I'd argue they have to have done SOME research. There's also the fact that measuring by maturity would be very unfair since, even subconsciously, people are biased. Not having a clear line makes everything so much more muddy. That's why there are so many different types of murder in the law (first, second, third) or why manslaughter even exists. There are too many variables for us to accurately decide who gets to vote based on maturity. Do I believe we should encourage less textbook thinking about more civic education (mental & emotional health, taxes, the stock market, voting, etc.)? Yes. But depending on maturity, while sound on paper, quickly falls apart when you realize that you cannot accurately measure maturity. So, I personally believe that we either have an age limit (which should be lowered) or we just get rid of age limits on voting altogether. Other than that, there is simply not practical solution which comes to mind.
Honestly, I really agree with Sam on this. I feel like voting should start at 15, because by that age you at least have an ID and a bit of independence, so you can actually participate. And I think it shouldn’t really have a strict upper limit, because as people get older, things like memory or health can make it harder to vote—but it doesn’t mean older people shouldn’t have the chance. I honestly think starting young helps people get used to participating in society early, and letting it continue later feels fair. Age alone doesn’t make someone mature, but giving everyone the chance and encouraging them to think and learn about their choices is important. For me, this is all about giving people a real voice in their life, and I think Sam’s point really makes sense.
Than you for reading !
That's interesting you feel the voting age should start at an even earlier age and that there will be a benefit from encouraging early participation in society. Do you feel that benefit outweighs the risk that younger voters may be more likely to be influenced by misleading information from organisations that seek to distort the electoral process?
I agree with this idea because as mentioned in the video voting must be about maturity not age because what we want is some people to think carefully and it is not about age. Think about it we don't all get moustaches at the same time, hour, minute and second and they don't grow in the same rate. The same thing with maturity we don't get mature at the same age.
One reason for my view is that some young people at 26 or 14 can think more carefully and better than more 20 years old like Mark Zuckerberg who made a huge company like Facebook at a really young age so it isn't fair. To make sure that everyone who is voting is mature we must make a test for anyone who vote to make sure they are mature and make this more objective by making the same exam to everyone.
However, others might argue that we have been years working with the same age systems so they might not be comfortable for old people to change what they have been on for decades.
i think it should be about age because if someone does not want to do it you would be forcing them and it would not be fair. they should be able to do it whenever them want.
Can you share what you think other people might think?
Voting is mainly based on age, not maturity, because age is easier to measure and apply equally to everyone. Most countries set the voting age at eighteen, believing that by this age people have developed enough understanding and responsibility to take part in political decisions. Maturity, however, is different for every person. Some young people are very mature and well informed, while some adults may not fully understand politics or the effects of their choices. Even so, governments use age instead of maturity because judging maturity would be unfair and difficult. It could lead to bias and discrimination, as there is no clear way to decide who is mature enough to vote. Using age creates a clear and equal rule for all citizens. Although age does not always reflect true maturity, it is seen as the most practical option for a democratic system. In this way, voting laws focus on age, while maturity remains the idea behind why a minimum age exists. This balance helps protect equality and ensures that everyone who reaches the legal age has the same right to participate in democracy.
This topic given to us is a very pivotal topic to debate on.
Let me start by saying that age is simply the number of years an individual has lived on earth. A person can be older or younger. But we all know that in most countries across the world voting is from the age of 18, for example , Nigeria, this is because the mindset has been put that once your 18 you are responsible for your actions , that is why voting is from 18 yrs above.
Now maturity is the quality of thinking and behaving in a sensible manner . So if one is an adult and lacks the quality of being sensible and responsible for his or her actions how can he know what is good or bad for his country ,because maturity is from the mind not the age, and only matured people can choose wisely when it comes to voting because they have studied the person looking for the position and have examined the situation of the country because of their mature minds.
So I would like to say that voting should be based on maturity not age and my points have been stated out clearly. THANK YOU.
Voting is all about maturity because
When we vote in a polling unit each person has who they will vote for. When a matured person comes to vote and someone comes to deceive him he is able to defend himself and even if he is forced he stills know what to do, he can't be easily influenced not because of age but in brain.
i agree that voting is for those who are mature rather than those who are of age, for example i have seen people who are 18+ but still don't behave like they have the mindset of such if the initiative for people of the age of 16 to vote they should have a mind of maturity and the right attitude to understand the type of person they are voting for.
Voting should be more of maturity reasons because when one is able to discern between what is right or wrong then he or she should be able suggest or vote what they think should be best for the country and not following the crowd opinions. They stand their ground unfailingly not triggered by what people say. But this days we tend to see 30 year old still misbehaving. So i say it is all about maturity.
In my opinion voting should be about maturity because one is able to make correct decision and choose a right leader rather than voting because you have reached a certain age. There are people who have reached voting age but can't make correct choices.
Thanks for sharing! How would you measure maturity?
I would send out a survey every time its time to select a new president if i had that much power🙂.
I would send out a survey every time its time to select a new president if i had that much power🙂.
I agree with this idea because, as Sam explains in the video, the real risk in voting is not someone's age but whether they understand the issues and take the time to research. People of any age can make uninformed choices if they vote without thinking carefully.
One reason for my view is that maturity and responsibility matter more than simply being older. Some younger people follow the news, learn about politics and vote thoughtfully, while some older voters may rely only on habit, family opinions, or misinformation.
However, someone else might argue that age usually brings more life experience, which can help people make better decisions. They may believe voting should still be linked to age because it is an easy way to set a legal standard.
Overall, I think voting should be about being informed and mature, not just how old someone is.
I agree with you because, for the reasons he mentioned, lowering the voting age is a huge risk. However, it could also potentially improve the system. Young minds have the potential to become great future leaders, and apart from the long-term benefits, allowing them to vote could be a good choice now. Young people understand how their world works, especially in areas like technology, education, and social issues. With this knowledge, they could help improve many aspects of society. They are often more open-minded, which allows them to analyse different options carefully and choose what they believe is best for their country, while still learning responsibility and civic duty.
I believe that the elections are mostly about the maturity and age is just a number said or written. Someone can be 16 years old, and he can be over-powered with knowledge however other one can be 40 years old, and he does not know anything about politics. Sam said in his video that some young people work in the military to pay their tax so that they must be responsible in the elections also he said that you do not have to be an adult to have political and creative ideas. He also was talking about stereotypes, not in gender but in age. First of all, stereotype is oversimplified beliefs or assumptions about a particular group because of their personalities and characteristics. There are a lot of types of stereotypes. One of them is called the age stereotypes which has another name called agism. Imagine if you were 16 years old besides you were neglected because of just your age. Does this show justice or equality between people?
Did you know that in 2014, Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel peace prize when she was just 17? Furthermore, she was 16 when she told her first speech at the UN. Malala was young when she experienced and achieved what adults cannot do! Malala was fighting with words to get her right (education). She said that all girls must have education like boys. There are millions of people like Malala who are fighting for their rights. Some people say that people who are under 18 cannot participate in the elections since they do not have knowledge but actually, they are wrong because the young people's mentalities are extremely excellent, marvelous and magnificent.
I think that voting should be more about maturity than age, because in today's modern world many people understand the issues that impact their lives. A good example of this is the fact that many young people today take responsibility in their homes and communities. Some people contribute to the support of their families, balance online jobs or education, to participate in community service during public emergencies, or participate in the social media campaigns to raise awareness about issues such as climate change and mental health. These behaviour shows maturity, understanding, and a sense of responsibility, which are more important for voting than age. However, some might argue that voting by age is more convenient and just. There was a talk that maturity is difficult to define, and an age criterion prevents confusion and bias about who can vote. I agree with the concern, but I think that maturity should be given more weight. With civic education and awareness, people who are ready to think and act responsibly, regardless of age, should have a voice in democratic decisions.
Personally, I stand my ground to agree that voting should be about maturity, not age, because Sam also said in the video about you still voting while being any age without doing any research.
Now, regarding the topic of politics and voting, it's not a very simple thing that everyone understands or even takes interest in—no matter the age. Voting is an extremely important event, where the people have power in their voices to choose the leader for their country. Like we established before, even people of adult-age just simply vote without researching any thing about the candidates. That is different from someone who is mature (a state where a person is well developed both mentally and emotionally). A mature and responsible person will take the initiative to do the opposite, to find out about the candidates so their country will be led well. In my country, the legal age to vote is 17, an age still in high-school. Some don't care at all, and just choose whoever, without thinking about the greater-good of the country. Now just imagine ages below 17 (which already happen in other countries) are allowed to vote. An age where a person has not matured yet, not enough to take part in voting. A person will only become fully-mature in their early–mid 20s, while ages 13-16 are still adolescents. Some might argue that they should be able to vote earlier to build more responsibility, but I think they should mature themselves enough before taking part in voting.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that the voting age should not be lowered, and should be based off one's maturity.
I disagree with this idea because some sixteen- year - olds can be quite ludicrous it's unbelievable, but then again Malala Yousafzai was 16 when she did something amazing for girls education in the United Nations which I find fascinating or another example is Boyan Slat who designed " The Ocean Cleanup" so some 16 year olds are whip- smart.
THANK YOU🤔
I believe voting is about maturity rather than age because age doesn’t define your knowledge of politics or ability to debate and reason out. Maturity means thinking straight and admitting accurate statements, not allowing emotions to get the best of you and cause you to think a certain way. If a person is mature enough, no matter their age, they should be given opportunities to speak out and share their opinions, to take part in major decisions through voting. In today’s online world, teens are exposed to a broader range of information than previous generations and have many different sources to hear from. While this will sometimes lead to misinformation, it allows them to have a better understanding of world challenges today and provides them with several perspectives.
However, some may believe that the older a person is, the more knowledge they are likely to have and are considered the best voices in voting. There is no denying that they have much more experience and are more likely to know what is actually going on in our world, gaining their knowledge from more reliable sources such as newspapers and news channels as well. This means they can place their vote respectively, with confidence that they haven’t been tricked or led to believe false information like some receiving their info from social media.
Even then, there is still a chance of them being tricked, and some young people today could be the next Albert Einstein for all we know, meaning that despite their age, they have strong understandings of the world around them, able to make reasonable decisions.
I agree with this idea because the age of someone doesn´t account for an individual´s actual understanding of the world. One reason of my view is the principle of fairness. Many youngsters are deeply informed about issues and bear already some adult responsibilities, even some work. If they are mature enough to contribute the country and to follow the law, it is fair that they have a say in the leadership. However, someone else might argue that not everyone have the enough maturity or same point of view and they can be controlled by parties to gain votes.
I disagree with the idea that voting should depend on maturity instead of age. History shows that "maturity" often serves as a way to keep people out of power. In the early days of our nation, India was burdened by strong gender stereotypes. Women were forced to stay at home, no matter how wise or capable they were. Even when women showed great maturity, society argued they lacked the "intellect" for politics, denying them the right to vote. If we shift the focus from a clear, objective age to a personal measure of maturity, we risk bringing back those same biases. Some may argue that a maturity-based system creates a more informed electorate, but "maturity" is too easy to manipulate. Just as it was once used to control women, it could be used today to silence any group that the majority thinks is "unready." A fixed age is the only fair way to protect the democratic rights of every citizen and ensure we don’t go back to systemic exclusion.
However some may say that, maturity shatters age, but in our nation, age shatters gender stereotypes. So, Age is about women empowerment!!!
I agree with this idea because there is people that are not mature enough but they are old enough to vote and they don't understand about politics to vote with common sense. Age is just a number and maturity is about how much you know about something.
One reason for my view is that people of 16-17 years old have lived lots of experiences and they
can be even more mature than some adults. With that age, you probably already know a bit about politics to understand them.
However, someone else might argue that maturity doesn't matter and that the age is more important because adults might have lived more and understand about politics more than young people. I think we should be able to decide about our future without mattering about our age!!!
I think voting is more about maturity than age. Age only shows how long someone has lived, but maturity shows how well they understand the world. A mature person can listen to different opinions, think critically, and make decisions based on facts, not emotions. Some young people are very informed and responsible, while some adults still vote without understanding the issues. So, maturity should matter more than age when it comes to voting.
Bye bye
I agree with this idea because, Maturity is the Ability of a Person to understand their Own Land's politics,lawd and rules. In my opinion the quality of a person's brain is the true base of a strong Democracy. This means a Voters value should be measured by their awareness and their sense of duty rather than just by their birth date. We can have a patriotic and helpful 16 year old voter who cares for the land rather than 40 year old who only thinks of themselves. A person should know about their country's laws and politics without the knowledge of these things, how can they even decide anything correctly? If an adult a selfish and doesn't even know politics how will they help our future or our country? It is not fair to let someone decide the future just because they are old and if they don't care about loss we are the ones who will be suffering in the future right? One point of my view is that nowadays many young people are doing social work and managing their daily life responsibilities, I suggest that if young people are ready to help they neighbours and manage their day to day life aren't they mature and have to vote? If we are already contributing to our community, shouldn't we have a stay in the laws that affect that community? Our action show our patriotism more than our age does. Someone else might argue that the brains of young people will not be developed until they reach 20 year old and also they might ask that are you going to keep a maturity test for everyone to tell who is mentally ready to vote? What if a group of people is unfairly not chosen. Thank you
I think that voting should be about maturity instead of age because if you are for example 24 years old and aren't mature,then there is no sense in voting because your vote can have an impact but if you are wise and young with a bright mind then that helps choose the right person for your country
Lowering the voting age is about recognizing young people's rights as citizens. Maturity isn't tied to age; it's shaped by cognitive abilities, life experiences, and access to information. Many 16- and 17-year-olds handle significant responsibilities like education, jobs, taxes, and families, showing they're capable of informed decisions. Misinformation affects all ages and can be countered with education and credible sources. Democracy is about power to the people; excluding young people undermines representation and participation. Their voices matter for shaping society's future. While some say they lack experience, many young people are already engaged in activism and community issues. Lowering the voting age harnesses their energy for a more inclusive democracy. It's about recognizing their stake in the future, not granting a privilege. By giving them a voice, we create a more vibrant democracy 💡.
"Voting rights shouldn't hinge on subjective maturity assessments—history shows this can exclude marginalized groups. India's past struggles with gender stereotypes are a stark example: women were denied the vote despite their capabilities, under the guise of lacking 'intellect.' A fixed age threshold ensures equal participation, prevents biases, and protects democratic rights. It’s less about crafting an 'informed electorate' and more about avoiding past injustices, where groups deemed 'unready' were silenced. A clear age cutoff safeguards every citizen's voice, promoting inclusivity 💡."
I think voting should be on maturity and not age because people do not have to be mature at a certain age they just have to be wise about who or what they choose because you might look back at what you chose and think oh I shouldn't have chose them.
I think that voting is with maturity,some teenagers understand in voting and would like to participate but the problem is that not all of them can understand,be mature enough to vote,and make their own choice. Some people think that they can make their choices...this is true about some of them-or all of them-but that's when we're talking about basic daily choices like choosing where to go,what to do,when to wake and so on. Of cou
I strongly agree with the idea that maturity is much more important to be able to vote than any age because as Sam mentioned in the video, some people at the age of 16 get married, can join the military and pay tax. Simply, we don't have to be young to be informed. So many old people don't come from an informed perspective.
One reason for my view is that many young people feel a true feeling that they want to be part in helping. It doesn't matter how old you are. It doesn't matter where you live or come from. I think that young people just need to be willing to serve. Young people who truly want to help will search because they understand that it is not just a press or a game. They realize that these decisions shape the society and affect everyone.
One person who clearly shows that decision-making and responsibility isn't about age is Malala Yousafzai. At just the age of 17, she was awarded the Noble Peace Prize as she was demanding that girls should have access to education. This is not about the elections, but it is clearly showing how 17-year-old people can make a change.
However, others might argue that young people are influenced. But the truth is that many people at different ages can be influenced as some influencers are really persuasive to convince you with their point of view.
I think voting depends on maturity and abilities, as some teenagers can vote wisely and make their own choices in something important like voting. On the other hand, some of them do not understand voting and do not care, as they are still living with an immature mindset; they are not completely old enough or independent. Yes, the teenage years are a stage in which people are in the middle between adulthood and childhood, and that means some of them are more like adults while others are more like children. According to Google, teenagers are generally more similar to children than adults. From my point of view, voting should be for adults only because most teenagers are more likely to think like children than adults. Also, teenagers’ immature thinking and their large number, which is about 14% of the population, could lead to changes in voting results.
I think it's with maturity age is only about how old are you but maturity is better every one is great can tell what he want in professional way so we can know what he means although Adults who have maturity or are older often know more than us about a certain thing. so my opinion is the voting should be with maturity.
thank you topical talkers bye🌹
I agree with this idea because, like Sam said in the video, not doing research before voting isn’t just a problem for young people. People of any age can vote without fully understanding the issues. That shows that age alone doesn’t guarantee responsibility or knowledge.
The reason for my view is that maturity is about how responsible and informed someone is, not how old they are. Some teenagers are very aware of what’s happening in the world, follow the news, and think carefully about different perspectives. At the same time, some adults might vote based only on habit or emotion. If voting is about making serious decisions that affect everyone, then the focus should be on whether someone understands the responsibility, not just their age.
However, someone else might say that age limits are important because they are simple and fair. It’s easier to measure someone’s age than their maturity, and older people usually have more life experience. While that is true, I still believe maturity and awareness matter more than just the number of years someone has lived.