Oh 18, what a number. You get to buy cigarettes, get a tattoo or piercing, vote, gamble, or even buy a gun. Most would be happy as they now have more options on how to spend your time, but I don’t see all the hype and benefit behind the specific age of 18.

Voting is great responsibility and it was very empowering once I registered to vote. Now I feel like if the country goes south it could be partially my fault. Voting should be taken as a serious civil duty, and not blown off like many others do. If you don’t vote, you have no basis to complain. So now that I can vote, I get to complain with my other fellow adults about what’s wrong with America.

In addition to the increased complaining, once you’re 18, you can buy cigarettes. Yay lung cancer! I know not every 18 year old will smoke cigarettes, but just the ability of being able to do so could tempt others into a nasty, even fatal habit. Even the ability to buy a gun, could tempt others into thinking they have to have a gun for self defense. That’s totally fine if you believe in that, all I’m saying is more guns without training could lead to a dangerous, even fatal, situation.

Another “perk” of being 18 is being allowed to gamble. Doesn’t it sound like a great idea to drive a few hours to a big fancy casino, spend your two week’s paycheck while thinking you’re on the top of the world and come back with a negative balance on your debit account. Sounds so liberating, huh? To me, it’s just a waste of time and hard earned money.

For some students, turning 18 is something to look forward to and it seems like a great thing, but so many of the “perks” of being 18 can have negative outcomes that I’m not sure I want the increased responsibilities.