[Maru]

Originally Posted by Livia

You should have to be 21 before you can app!y for a provisional driving licence. No one under 16 should have a smart phone. From age 11 they could have a "dumb" phone just for calls and texts.

I could be on board with all of that. The only one I might say isn't as practical is 21 as a driving age. It would very likely push forward most other major milestones like voting or even delay going to college (if needing to self-transport). At least it would in the US because of our dependency on vehicles. It's a huge burden on the parents to have to continue to manage large portions of their lifestyle and for some young adults, not being to "move on" early enough can lead to problems with motivating themselves. I know too many peers who didn't move out until their 30s and they developed poor coping mechanisms and still have poor mental health because they were never pushed to do anything too uncomfortable so they became stunted. I did without a license until 29 but my situation was unique. I lived in a DC suburb so there was good access to things thanks to great funding in that county. I had been independent since 19 having moved in with hub then and it was until I moved back to my home state where the cost of living wasn't so insane that I went to get a license. It was hard for us in the beginning but totally worth it to be independent.

I agree completely about smart phones. I don't think it's doing our brains any favors, much less the ones that are still developing...