Lexus Op-Ed, The voting age should be changed.

Alexcia Scheinman

9/1/25

Why the voting age should be 25 and NOT 18: 

Following what you know, gaining control, clinging onto the familiar, and often straying from the peculiar.

 

A few short words provided, that distinctly describe adolescence. 

 

Parents have the impact to sway and children have the power, amongst a certain age to stray.

 

When teenagers stray, the information that has been collected from people they have been surrounded by still remains. This is overlooked when power given to teenagers is greater than their individual knowledge. 

This is why I believe the voting age should be changed to 25.

The article titled, Parents attitudes and beliefs: “Their impact on children’s development”, from the encyclopedia on early childhood development goes into detail about the emotional regulation given by parents, often naturally, and how parents attitudes and beliefs are contagious to teenagers who haven’t been given the amount of time to create their own. The article states "parents observe their children through filters of conscious thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. These filters direct the way children perceive their parent’s actions". This article provides information on how we acquire the beliefs and feel the emotions of our parents. The article provides information that further direct me to believe that the legal voting age should be changed to 25.

 

Your frontal lobe is not fully developed until age 25, meaning that until you reach this age, you have not fully reached a point of impulse regulation, emotional intelligence, accountability, a realistic out look on life, and the ability to reach a decision making style that you have designed for yourself. You are essentially reaching a milestone in your brain. All of which i just described is crucial to voting for the future of your life as well as the future of others.

 

Cleveland clinic states “This lobe is essential for planning for the future, setting goals, and finding solutions to complex problems and making sound judgments”. 

 

There are aspects in life that block teenagers from making sound judgments. For example, hormonal changes, peer pressure, and something as small as experiences on a day to day basis that have the power to alter one’s mentality. 

Our brain is wired to seek efficiency and learn by observing others. As humans we have a tendency to model the behaviors of those we are surrounded by. 

 

It becomes dangerous giving an 18 year old access to the ballet, if they have spent 18 years of there life living in a home with the same beliefs, spoken by their parents. BBC Science Focus Magazine states “As we interact with peers, teachers, and other role models, we're exposed to a wider range of ideas and beliefs. These interactions can challenge our existing perspectives and encourage us to reconsider our own values.”

 

Our own experiences influence our beliefs. At the age of 18, it is often that these experiences haven’t reached their prime. 

At the age of 18 there is a lack of developed political thought and independence. What comes with the lack of independence, is doubting yourself and praising the thoughts of those around you. This forces your brain to subconsciously believe that other people’s beliefs are your own and the only correct ones at that.  

Psychology today states “Children hear their parents opinion during dinner conversations or see them vote for a particular party. This consistent exposure can subconsciously shape their view”.

Being young and naive can cause feelings to be heightened with something as simple as comfortable in house banter.

This is common and can be viewed as necessary, but is negative when it comes to heavy decision making .

 

A milestone and pivotal point for teenagers transitioning into adult hood is the transition from high-school into college, if this path is chosen.

 

It can be common in college to go based off of emotion instead of reason, especially when jumping into a pool full of people all around your age also known as people who are more susceptible to spread false information.

It is easy to fall in the roll of being a follower when things feel unfamiliar or you are in an unfamiliar place.

 

Voting for presidents is based off of your beliefs not what others have made you believe or only spoken to believe. There is an initial foundational of political views, but not a fixed one. It is crucial to develop a unique political identify for yourself.