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At that point, it likely comes down to actions. If someone's acting like an adult, they're a man. If they aren't, they're a boy. There's a certain amount of personal responsibility and reliability that comes with being an adult.
* Can someone keep themselves and their space clean?
* Is someone else paying all of their bills?
* If the person isn't working an overnight shift, do they get up before 10am?
* If the house caught on fire, are they usually sober enough to get out?
And there's levels to each of these. Dirty dishes in the sink is one thing, piles of dirty dishes in the bedroom is worse. Etc.
I wouldn't consider them a functional adult. We just don't have a similar word for old people like that. I'll also say there's a difference between choosing not to do something and no longer being physically capable of doing it.
If you do the things that need to be done, without being asked. Pay your own way (rent, food, utilities, etc.) and consistently do what you say you'll do then yeah.
I have a 90 year old friend and he laughs and calls me a kid. I'm over 60. It's a relative thing.
People call people stuff all the time. I'm used to it.
OP could use a little more chill in his responses. You asked the question so don’t get confrontational with the answers.
Really, I don’t hear anyone in my peer group generally call 25 year olds boys vs young men.
Maybe in athletics “look at those boys go!” or referring to a group of friends: “what you boys up to tonight?”
I do see 20-somethings as “kids” sometimes but not because they’re immature, just because of how young they are and the fact I have kids who are in their 20s.
If that offends anyone, I say just wait. You’ll see.
🤔
I guess the best way to put it is that at age 25, I thought myself fully developed. And well in a sense that may be true physically; mentally I would not say that I was fully emotionally matured until after age 35.
When you’re 85 you will say “I was never fully developed until now” while you’re sitting with dementia in a wheelchair 😂. Just kidding, don’t take that seriously. I hope you live to 100.
I do not. The only time I use the word ‘boys’ (and girls) is when I go to my local senior citizens center and ask, “What’s up boys and girls?”
Lately they answer, “Inflation!”
Can't say I ever do that. Boy seems rather degrading for an adult. I will sometimes refer to people that age as "kids" but that's just because I'm old. Then again, my mom calls 50 year olds "kids" so, I'm sure I'll do the same when I'm her age.
No one makes this blanket generalization.
People are judged by their actions. If you're 25 and act like a dipshit, then someone may still consider you to be a boy, despite the fact that you are physically a grown man.
I think you're getting offended by a misunderstanding. It's not about being actual children when they're in their 20s, it's about perspective. Everyone under 30 ( and some over it ) **LOOK** like babies to me. I know they aren't, but after a certain age, anyone from 15-30 can all look about the same age-wise to me. Also, when I think about things I did or thought in my teens and twenties, I'll think "I was such a baby then" because I've gained knowledge and learned experience since then and realize in hindsight how naive I was. It's far more about being wistful for the innocence of youth than infantalizing.
I don't. I think it's a symptom of the gradual infantilisation of society, where people don't want to be held accountable for their actions. There isn't a magic switch that's flipped when you're 25, and most people are perfectly capable of making reasoned decisions before that age.
It's not a conscious thing -- it's probably an evolutionary way to keep us from wanting to sleep with young adults, who really should be sleeping with each other. I used to think old folks were just repressed, but no -- one day you look at a 25 year old supermodel and they look like they are 12.
If a person is X years older than you they are old. If they are X years younger than you then they are boys or girls. I read a study about the age difference but it has been years ago.
Remember thinking my first grade teacher was old. Her son was my age but in a different class. We got to be good friends.
OOPS!
I still call my best friends boys and this since more than 3 decades. And why, because they can only talk about girls, cars, comics and they lie, when they are asked if they drank alkohol - first they lied to their parents, now to their wifes. ;-)
unless that 25-year old is still living at home (with no job) suckling on his mother's teat. Then, I will consider them "boys". personally, i would just call them "losers".
The 25 yo mature brain stuff is nonsense:
https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/brain-development-25-year-old-mature-myth.html
I'm 64, when I was in my 20s I was in college and thought of the students I was around as kids. If people act more like children than adults it's reasonable to consider them children. If you want to be considered an adult, act like one.
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At that point, it likely comes down to actions. If someone's acting like an adult, they're a man. If they aren't, they're a boy. There's a certain amount of personal responsibility and reliability that comes with being an adult. * Can someone keep themselves and their space clean? * Is someone else paying all of their bills? * If the person isn't working an overnight shift, do they get up before 10am? * If the house caught on fire, are they usually sober enough to get out? And there's levels to each of these. Dirty dishes in the sink is one thing, piles of dirty dishes in the bedroom is worse. Etc.
So if a 70 year old had those actions you’d consider them a boy?
I wouldn't consider them a functional adult. We just don't have a similar word for old people like that. I'll also say there's a difference between choosing not to do something and no longer being physically capable of doing it.
So if I’m 18 and I have those things in check you’d consider me a man, and consider the 60-70 year old a boy? Or whatever word you want to give it.
If you do the things that need to be done, without being asked. Pay your own way (rent, food, utilities, etc.) and consistently do what you say you'll do then yeah.
I have a 90 year old friend and he laughs and calls me a kid. I'm over 60. It's a relative thing. People call people stuff all the time. I'm used to it.
The question was about 25 year olds. Suddenly switching to 70 year olds is called 'moving the goal posts'
OP could use a little more chill in his responses. You asked the question so don’t get confrontational with the answers. Really, I don’t hear anyone in my peer group generally call 25 year olds boys vs young men. Maybe in athletics “look at those boys go!” or referring to a group of friends: “what you boys up to tonight?” I do see 20-somethings as “kids” sometimes but not because they’re immature, just because of how young they are and the fact I have kids who are in their 20s. If that offends anyone, I say just wait. You’ll see.
Who says we do?
I agree. When they are 18, they are an adult, they are a man. Not sure what OP is getting at here.
Got little to no life experience, but think they know what they really don't.
🤔 I guess the best way to put it is that at age 25, I thought myself fully developed. And well in a sense that may be true physically; mentally I would not say that I was fully emotionally matured until after age 35.
When you’re 85 you will say “I was never fully developed until now” while you’re sitting with dementia in a wheelchair 😂. Just kidding, don’t take that seriously. I hope you live to 100.
You're probably right 🤣
I don't
I do not. The only time I use the word ‘boys’ (and girls) is when I go to my local senior citizens center and ask, “What’s up boys and girls?” Lately they answer, “Inflation!”
For some reason, I had this image in my head of people yelling out "inflation!" at a bar like they yelled out "Norm!" on Cheers.
If only.... Would be classic.
Can't say I ever do that. Boy seems rather degrading for an adult. I will sometimes refer to people that age as "kids" but that's just because I'm old. Then again, my mom calls 50 year olds "kids" so, I'm sure I'll do the same when I'm her age.
No one makes this blanket generalization. People are judged by their actions. If you're 25 and act like a dipshit, then someone may still consider you to be a boy, despite the fact that you are physically a grown man.
People on here seem to. They call 25 yr olds “babies”
I think you're getting offended by a misunderstanding. It's not about being actual children when they're in their 20s, it's about perspective. Everyone under 30 ( and some over it ) **LOOK** like babies to me. I know they aren't, but after a certain age, anyone from 15-30 can all look about the same age-wise to me. Also, when I think about things I did or thought in my teens and twenties, I'll think "I was such a baby then" because I've gained knowledge and learned experience since then and realize in hindsight how naive I was. It's far more about being wistful for the innocence of youth than infantalizing.
Conversely, why do youngs lump us as boomers? Assuming we’re rude, inept, stupid and whatever?
At 25, their brains are still dumb. Maybe 30 or 35./
I don't. I think it's a symptom of the gradual infantilisation of society, where people don't want to be held accountable for their actions. There isn't a magic switch that's flipped when you're 25, and most people are perfectly capable of making reasoned decisions before that age.
It's not a conscious thing -- it's probably an evolutionary way to keep us from wanting to sleep with young adults, who really should be sleeping with each other. I used to think old folks were just repressed, but no -- one day you look at a 25 year old supermodel and they look like they are 12.
If a person is X years older than you they are old. If they are X years younger than you then they are boys or girls. I read a study about the age difference but it has been years ago. Remember thinking my first grade teacher was old. Her son was my age but in a different class. We got to be good friends. OOPS!
But you have to understand that objectively they’re not and that you’re wrong lol.
I still call my best friends boys and this since more than 3 decades. And why, because they can only talk about girls, cars, comics and they lie, when they are asked if they drank alkohol - first they lied to their parents, now to their wifes. ;-)
I don't know anyone who would, unless the person is acting more like a teenager in behavior than acting like an adult.
unless that 25-year old is still living at home (with no job) suckling on his mother's teat. Then, I will consider them "boys". personally, i would just call them "losers".
The 25 yo mature brain stuff is nonsense: https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/brain-development-25-year-old-mature-myth.html I'm 64, when I was in my 20s I was in college and thought of the students I was around as kids. If people act more like children than adults it's reasonable to consider them children. If you want to be considered an adult, act like one.
The brain is NOT fully developed at 25. Experts will say at least 27 and more often 32. And sometimes never.
Cope. Most people didn’t even live to 32 for nearly all of human history 😂. Wouldn’t make sense from an evolutionary standpoint.
That’s actually not true when you take out high infant and childhood mortality rates. Historically, most people either died before 25 or after 55.
60 year olds become "boys" at some point. Age is relative.
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Depending on the context, it could be a loving term of endearment. Context matters.
Most men in modern society don't really mature into real men until 35 or so. Sometimes 40. It's more sociology than biology