This week as a class, we began to talk about the laws of Singapore and how they apply to all of us. One of the most interesting things we found was that 18 was the age for legal “adulthood” but 16 is the age for consent. As we began to explore this idea, we talked about how in many countries 18 is the age where you are physically and mentally an adult, or so they expect you to be. 18 is the year you finish your schooling and then leave for college. This means you are forced to take care of yourselves and take responsibilities for your actions. However, the real question lies in why 16 is the age of consent and not 18. Does this come from our traditionalist views on marriage? Or does this come from a new generation? What’s interesting about the age 16 is that it’s not used anywhere else in the Singapore law, so why is it used for consent and not anything else. Maybe it’s Singapore’s views about a new modern society that does not hold the same beliefs as the older generations did. Maybe it stems from the traditional views of marrying young. The law is a complex thing and in order to live comfortably and safely in Singapore, it’s important to understand it. But many questions still remain to why laws are the way they are.