Much is made of how confusing growing up can be. Not only do teens fret about dating, acne, nagging parents, school and improving their Xbox scores, they also have to deal with the inevitable rite of passage into adulthood.
The most perplexing part of that process could be figuring out when exactly one is no longer considered a kid. At what age is one supposed to start acting like an adult, anyway?
— Most Americans, according to a recent University of Chicago study, believe we're officially "grown up" at the age of 26.2. By then, we should have had the first of our 2.5 tax credits, be married (at age 25.7), be able to financially support a family (24.5), complete a college education (22.3), hold a full-time job (21.2), move out of our parents' home (21.1) and be self-supporting (20.9).
— The federal government says adulthood happens at 18, the age citizens can legally vote. The Utah Drivers License Division grants adult driving privileges at 16. That, of course, is a full five years before one can legally purchase adult beverages (alcohol) or gamble in most states.
— Hollywood claims it's age 17, when it suddenly becomes OK — according to the film industry — for people to see movies with extra cursing, extra violence and extra naughty stuff without having a parent or guardian tagging along.
— The Internal Revenue Service agrees with Hollywood, at least so far as that is the age when he or she can no longer be claimed as a dependent child in the special extra-deduction category.
Webster's doesn't define adult with a number. The dictionary claims it happens when one is "grown up" and "mature in age," which probably automatically eliminates many people older than the age of 21. (We'll let you be the judge of that.)
Where this really becomes interesting is when the adult status starts affecting adults' wallets. The definition definitely gets stretched.
— For example, most theaters charge "adult prices" for ages 12 and older (which makes one wonder why they don't charge lower prices until teens are old enough to actually see an R-rated movie; but we digress).
— Restaurants also have a liberal definition of "adult," charging children as young as 10 or 11 the same price as the grown-up Webster's version, who would generally eat quite a bit more. (On the other hand, Circus Circus' buffet believes everyone is an adult and has a one-price-fits-all policy.)
— Amusement parks take this grown-up standard to another level. Lagoon, for one, substitutes height for age in determining whether one is suitable for some rides. Forget your birth certificate, those who stand over 51 inches tall get charged adult prices (this might include some newborns if you believe some tabloids). At Six Flags parks, you only have to be over 48 inches (which is still good news for of-age gymnasts and jockeys).
— You can be young at heart and still pay adult admission at some of Southern California's hot spots. Disneyland and Sea World charge adult prices for kids over the age of 10, while Knott's Berry Farm and Universal Studios set the bar at 12 years old.
Pick a year, and a different establishment will classify you with the adults.
— It's 11 and older at Denny's Restaurants; 12 and above at Chuck-A-Rama; 13 at the Hogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, Snowbird, Best Western and Super Eight motels; 16-plus at the Salt Lake City Sports Complex; 17 at the Utah State Fair; and they'll leave a light on for you at an adult price at Motel 6 for those 18 and over.
— The Children's Museum of Utah is the rare exception. The museum makes everyone pay the same amount, $4, children and adults alike — except for those lucky enough to be under the age of 1. They're free. How generous.
And what comes around goes around. The whole confusion begins anew with senior adults who are often given price reductions anywhere from 50 to 65.
That, some would say, is when it finally pays to grow up.
E-mail: lynn@desnews.com; jody@desnews.com