when debating (ok, arguing) with a young person, instead to actually refuting them to simply say 'You are only X years old, what do you know?' or some variant of that. It's not a counter-argument, it's a completely worthless piece of ad hominem. Why do it? If you feel you're right based on logic there's no need to hide behind your age.
OK, you are basicly asking: Why people use logical fallacies in arguments? Well, because people are stupid. There you go...
Sometimes it's a good technique if you know the other person will be swayed by it and you don't have time to give a well-crafted logical argument. Politicians do this all the time in debates. Sometimes the other person really is too young to understand the reasoning, and sometimes that person really doesn't grasp the basis of the argument (granted that tends to be with people who are quite young, and then why would you be trying to debate such an issue with a small child anyway?) I actually stooped to that level the other day when an 8 year old tried to convince me that he should legally be allowed to vote.
I've had that fallacy used against me a couple times. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!, and its usually after I just beat them in a debate.
It's not something that we should use in an argument that's about facts and logic. But a lot of young people think they understand the world, people, organizations, politics, society, etc., when all they know is what they read or see on YouTube. Worse yet, they think they understand love, disappointment, anger, responsibility, motivation and other emotions.
Young people do experience love, disappointment, anger and motivation, therefore yes they do understand these things. Young people live in society and experience it every day, so yes they do understand it. You do have a point regards responsibility though as young people have less of those than adults. It's not something you should use in any argument. I may be young, that doesn't make me wrong and it certainly does not make you right. Merely saying 'You're young, what do you know?' is NOT a rebuttal.
