18 Year Old: "I'm an adult now. Why am I still not allowed to go on social media or have a smartphone?"
Parent: "Because the law now forbids both until you are 21, and the law is the law."
18 Year Old: "But Canadian, Australian, British, and European people my age are allowed to. As are people my age in almost every other country as well."
Parent: "Well, we're not Canada, Australia, Europe, or any other country for that matter. Different cultures and such. America has too many problems as it is."
18 Year Old: "But your generation was allowed to at a much earlier age than me!"
Parent: "That was then. Life was cheap back then. We know better now. And your grandparents were allowed to drink and smoke too at your age, which we obviously no longer allow either, so your point is?"
18 Year Old: "And they were allowed to play outside with their friends unsupervised even when they were in single digits too, or so I have heard. Grandma and Grandpa actually got to enjoy the real world before they forgot how to, while you got to enjoy the virtual world at least. My generation had neither."
Parent: "Well, the real world was much safer back then compared to now, and as for me, we didn't know just how dangerous the virtual world really was."
18 Year Old: "Statistics say otherwise".
Parent: "You need to watch more news and true crime documentaries before you can argue statistics. It's really a jungle out there now. In any case, I see your statistics, and I raise you a "Because I said so!""
18 Year Old: "Statistics beat logical fallacies and anecdotes every time. Regardless, it's not fair in what is supposed to be a free country."
Parent: "Life isn't fair. Deal with it!"
18 Year Old: "But I'm literally old enough to get married, and yet I can't even post my own wedding on Facebook? That doesn't make any sense at all."
Parent: "If you're so mature and such an adult, then why don't you get married right now?" (Tries to trick the young person into saying they are "too young".)
18 Year Old: "Because as an adult, I know that just because you CAN do something, it doesn't mean that you SHOULD. Just like you raised me".
Parent: (speechless)
18 Year Old: (Mic drop)
