Bealzebub - entirely agree with your observations. I've flown with mature and professional 19-22 year olds and immature and somewhat childish 50-60 year olds...life experience has nothing to do with it other than perhaps to enhance the conversational quality in the cruise and at the bar if you happen to have had some notable life experiences
Interested in mockinkjay's comment about it being just a job as it struck a cord and reminded me of a recent encounter with an old friend who, at 19 managed to secure the financing to put himself though a self-sponsored integrated course at one of the large UK schools. Subsequently paid for a type-rating and joined a well-known B737 operator in the West of Europe, and based close to his home so none of the social issues described by mockingkjay. He later moved to a London based B747 operator, the type he currently operates. He categorically told me that he
hated every minute of his first job and is bored to tears in his current role, so I suppose the comment made by Lindsay Craig that an airline career is not for everyone was certainly accurate in my friend's case. He is an upbeat, motivated and highly professional person now in his late 20's, but he says the only reason he's stuck with it is because he'd invested so much getting there.
Food for thought...I think.