The neuroscientist who thinks 16-year-olds should vote

Times

5 days ago

A s a scientist who studies the adolescent brain, I am often asked whether 16-year-olds are ready to vote. Based on evidence from neuroscience, psychology and political science, my answer is a cautious yes.
The voting age of 18 is a legal convention, not a scientific one. It was chosen long before we had any understanding of how the brain or mind develops. We now know that adolescence is a period of significant growth in reasoning, perspective-taking and identity formation. This new understanding gives us reason to reconsider the role of young people in our democracy.
By 16, most young people have the necessary thinking skills to vote. They can weigh arguments, think abstractly and consider long-term consequences. This type of careful, deliberate thinking used in calm situations is called cold cognition. It is the kind of decision-making typically involved in voting.