Everybody hates teenagers, so yes.

It's not really about protecting them; people that claim this is the case are generally doing so to launder that hatred.

They're not hated, they're just treated as non-entities that aren't assumed to have or need any agency.

People under 18 are the largest disenfranchised block of citizens.

I mean, yes. Because we don't give kids all their rights yet. That's fair in many regards (not all. Having schools able to silence dissent legally feels all sorts of wrong). It also add protections, like not letting a 12 yo work in a coal mine or be sent to war.

More importantly, it's a powerful political spin used to justify often heinous actions. People want to protect kids.

Brilliant observation! I would like to make the statement more precise: not hate/hatred but jealousy.

This is the kind of thing I would have posted while in High School.