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That seems correct though - Miss is the appropriate title for a under 18y old.

In what country is Miss used for under 18 and Ms. for over? In the US and UK, Miss just means "unmarried woman" no matter the age. So yes, its appropriate for an under 18y old, but its also appropriate for an over 18 year old.

I cannot quite exclude another idea, that the age-related framing of the mistake is simply a cover-up for a much more prosaic error, perhaps of embarassing quality.

"Cultural differences" is an easy scapegoat.

Yes, but you wouldn’t choose to use Ms. for a 8-year old.

So if you’re presented with Ms. and Miss as options in a form, and neither has to do with marriage status, it’s natural that Miss will refer to the young.

Dr. Doogie Howser would slip right through the cracks of your system.

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