The Case Against Adolescence

Oh... if only he knew.

I didn't find your "economic argument against child sexuality" convincing however. (I understand you are positing claims about societal beliefs as opposed to your own)

"... we’re unhappy when people reproduce and can’t afford their offspring. So we call people who mostly aren’t economically viable children, even when they’re physiologically and psychologically not..."

Being under 18 may be one indicator of financial viability - although many children are born into privilege, are beneficiaries of trust funds, are financially self-sufficient.

Living on welfare benefits (or perhaps even minimum wage?) is a much stronger indicator of financial viability, and yet we don't see wholesale sterilisation of the unemployed or even any organised public policy discouraging sex between employees of the fast food industry.

I suspect that (as usual) there are more complex factors behind "age of consent" legislation than rational economic principles.

I guess I just find it funny that the seminal 'teenager' book was written by J.D. Salinger, and this critical review was written by J. Seliger. Especially when I couldn't remember at first exactly how Salinger's name was spelled.