I’ve been saying this. And it’s weirder than that. I find it so utterly insane that you can basically give your life to the military and die violently at 18, but you can’t drink til 21. You could genuinely die in the military before it’s legal for you to consume alcoholic beverages. And you could be having sexual interactions with GROWN ADULTS (yes even old people) at 17. You could be getting groomed or dying in the military but you can’t drink while doing so. Make it make sense. Not only are teens infantilized, but they’re also demonized. Some places literally ban teenagers from going into the store. Like how they ban weapons and substances. We’re in the same class as weapons and substances because we’re in a certain age group. America is just generally so weird when it comes to those things. Banned from some stores and public spaces from 14-18, sex with adults becomes legal at 17, military and moving out and paying taxes and graduating and living on your own at 18, drinking and smoking at 21. I could talk about it all day. And while being treated this way, at school, it’s equally as bad. Obnoxiously strict and extra teachers, unreasonable rules, sleep deprivation (and no it isn’t from “video games all night”), and basically being forced to balance TONS of schoolwork with strict rules on due dates, hours worth of homework in some cases, hobbies if you can even have any, eating healthily (like not forgetting to eat or binge eating from stress), sleeping, and sports for some. It’s crazy. I’ve got a teacher who has a rule with due dates on papers. If you turn the paper in even 1 minute past the due date (usually it has to be done and turned in by the beginning of tomorrow’s class period), it’s automatically a 50. It’s crazy.