Age Discrimination

[Kylyssa]

Why is it considered appropriate to question someone's age in a discussion?  This will likely get me banned to even ask it, but I wonder why it's perfectly OK to use a minor's age as your argument instead of responding to their argument intelligently?  And why is it out of line if you call someone out for using age discrimination as their argument?

To me, using someone's age means you have no intelligent rebuttal for their argument so you are basically just saying "you are too young to have an intelligent opinion."  I think that discounting someone's argument due to their age is immature and bigoted.  If you can't argue without making personal attacks you aren't qualified to be part of the discussion.  Questioning people's ages is a personal attack when it really isn't relevant to the conversation.  If we are talking about what's hot with teens now or how to deal with the troubles of aging, age isn't irrelevant but for just about anything else, it is.

But for some reason it's OK to basically end a discussion with, "you're young and thus immature and ignorant so I win!" and anyone who disagrees will be warned.

I can understand why a minor might be warned for participating in discussions it might be illegal for him or her to participate in but to just support age discrimination instead seems wrong, doesn't it?  Why not just ban minors from threads it's illegal for them (and us if they are there) to exercise free speech in instead of going on about the legal repercussions of hosting discussions illegal for minors to participate in?    

In case you were wondering, I'm forty-one.

[Asmodean]

Well, kids do tend to lack the visdom and knowledge ballast to argue a point successfully, but that doesn't mean that age alone is a fair argument in a debate. I, for one, would not mind debating - and possibly being bested by - a kid who knew what (s)he was doing.

[Whitney]

This will likely get me banned to even ask it, but I wonder why it's perfectly OK to use a minor's age as your argument instead of responding to their argument intelligently?

I don't even know what this is about...why would you think you'd get banned for asking a question?

[Asmodean]

I don't even know what this is about...why would you think you'd get banned for asking a question?

Probably because many people view age questions as a taboo..?

Let me try to point out the point for you though, as I see it:

Is referencing someone's age a valid argument when trying to dispute their claims?

[Kylyssa]

This will likely get me banned to even ask it, but I wonder why it's perfectly OK to use a minor's age as your argument instead of responding to their argument intelligently?

I don't even know what this is about...why would you think you'd get banned for asking a question?

Because of a private message I received from a moderator in response to a private message I sent to Legendary Sandwich offering support regarding the age discrimination in a particular thread in which he was chastised for calling someone out for age discrimination.  I didn't feel comfortable offering support in the thread because of how LS was treated.  I was unwilling to participate in a game where dirty pool is not only allowed but in which one is not allowed to call out such behavior.

[Kylyssa]

Is referencing someone's age a valid argument when trying to dispute their claims?

Thank you!  That's exactly what I was trying to say.  

I'm also wondering why so many people seem to feel it is a valid argument.

[terranus]

This will likely get me banned to even ask it, but I wonder why it's perfectly OK to use a minor's age as your argument instead of responding to their argument intelligently?

I don't even know what this is about...why would you think you'd get banned for asking a question?

Yeah I was wondering about that too. And what's with it being "illegal" for minors to participate in certain discussions? Pretty sure freedom of speech was guaranteed to all Americans, at least. I mean unless the thread has porn or something in it which minors are technically unable to view due to legal restrictions. Or if a minor's parents disapprove of them viewing a certain topic. Neither of which would have stopped me when I was a minor. Apparently Kylyssa has no faith in our 1st amendment.  

[Whitney]

Is referencing someone's age a valid argument when trying to dispute their claims?

No, if someone is wrong you shouldn't have to know their age in order to prove why they are wrong.

The only time I find age helpful is if someone is having problems grasping a concept and I know they are very young I'll give them more slack.


As for minors participating in threads....this is a forum for adults (as opposed to being for kids, in which case I'd have to make all the under 18 members get one of those COPPA, or whatever it's called, forms filled out by their parents) and I'm not responsible for policing what is appropriate and inappropriate for minors to see.  As far as I'm aware there is no information that is illegal for minors to view that is not also illegal for adults (at least not in the states, which is the only laws I need to worry about as a forum owner).

[Guardian85]

Well, kids do tend to lack the visdom and knowledge ballast to argue a point successfully, but that doesn't mean that age alone is a fair argument in a debate. I, for one, would not mind debating - and possibly being bested by - a kid who knew what (s)he was doing.

Very well said.

And if a young person lacks the wisdom or knowledge to "win" a debate, should it not be the duty of us "more educated" people to help this person achieve greater understanding if he has shown interest in learning?
 Better that they get answers(or more questions) from a rational debate then from some preacher.

[LegendarySandwich]

Better that they get answers(or more questions) from a rational debate then from some preacher.

Thanks for your support and concern, Klyssa. I don't really have much to say on this topic besides that.

[Will]

I'm 27. What one can fairly assume from that is I have no practical experience with proctology, Social Security, and dentures. Being 27 does not mean, however, that I'm less educated or more likely to be incorrect in the vast, vast majority of discussions.

Ageism is an ad hom fallacy, and a weak one at that.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Is referencing someone's age a valid argument when trying to dispute their claims?

Thank you!  That's exactly what I was trying to say.  

I'm also wondering why so many people seem to feel it is a valid argument.

It pretty much depends on the topic.

For instance, I'm on a music forum where there's a 16-year-old trying to tell people how to behave on a club gig.  In that case, I felt fine telling him that he isn't even old enough to get in, and so his advice, while well-meaning, was baseless from the viewpoint of experience, which is really the key to interpersonal relations.

At other times, my 13 yo son will correct me on a point and I will take it because he's right and I'm wrong.

It all depends on the issue under discussion.

[Guardian85]

Is referencing someone's age a valid argument when trying to dispute their claims?

Thank you!  That's exactly what I was trying to say.  

I'm also wondering why so many people seem to feel it is a valid argument.

It pretty much depends on the topic.

For instance, I'm on a music forum where there's a 16-year-old trying to tell people how to behave on a club gig.  In that case, I felt fine telling him that he isn't even old enough to get in, and so his advice, while well-meaning, was baseless from the viewpoint of experience, which is really the key to interpersonal relations.

At other times, my 13 yo son will correct me on a point and I will take it because he's right and I'm wrong.

It all depends on the issue under discussion.

I believe what Kylyssa and Asmodean ment was that if all other things were equal, age alone should never be a bar to participation.

(My apologies to Kylyssa and Asmodean if I misunderstand their meaning.)

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, in that circumstance, sure.

[fester30]

Is referencing someone's age a valid argument when trying to dispute their claims?

[/quote]
It's my favorite method when I'm wrong, but I don't think it's only for arguments with kids.  You can use the age thing if they're older than you, too.  Then it's not unfair discrimination, because you are treating them all equally.