Turning 18 in the 21st Century

Over the next year or so, all of you will be turning 18, marking a big milestone in your lives.

What does turning 18 mean?

At 18, a lot opens up for you. You are now recognised as a legal adult.

Among other important things, once you turn 18 you have the right to vote. You can also stand for election as an MP if you wish!

You’ll be eligible to be called up for jury duty. You can now apply for and carry an organ donor card.

At 18 you’re old enough to rent your own house, get a commercial pilot’s license, or even change your name!

Building a picture of your generation

Your participation in Child of the New Century has already helped countless people, and will continue to inform important decisions for society.

Over the last 18 years, you’ve taken part in lots of different things as part of CNC. The study has information from around:

• 217,000 activities to show us how you think, which you’ve done since you were 3
• 77,400 measurements of your height and weight, which we’ve measured since you were 3
• 45,800 questionnaires that you’ve filled in since you were 7
• 11,600 activity monitors, which you wore when you were 7 and 14
• 9,300 saliva samples you gave us when you were 14
• 8,000 interviews at age 17
• 5,400 online questionnaires at age 17
• 4,900 time use records that you filled in when you were 14
• 4,100 baby teeth

Your parents have been phenomenal too, keeping you involved when you were little, and contributing their own information from over 134,000 questionnaires, which they’ve completed seven times. That’s a lot of information, and all of it has brought many issues to the fore and is helping to inform policy. You may have recently seen stories in national newspapers that used the information you gave us about your lives at the Age 14 Survey. Read the following stories to find out more about how CNC is raising awareness for many issues facing your generation:

• Mental health in teenage years
• Teenage girls set their sights on lower paying jobs than boys
• More than one in ten 14-year-olds binge drink
• Reading improves teenagers’ vocab, say researchers

We thank you and congratulate you on starting a new chapter in your life, and look forward to continuing the journey with you!