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Actually, for me ... whats more intriguing is the nature of the character - and that will usually tell me what age the character should be. Kinda like working backwards ...
Now that said, one of the reasons I do like running what would be considered 'younger' characters - and lets say for me thats early to mid twenties - is that , at that age period, the character has (in many cultures) just reached an age of relative independence, and is often standing on their own for the very first time or finally starting on their own journey through life. As such, the events that then happen in the characters life play a major role in shaping their personality, outlook and the direction of their eventul destiny ... and thus the choices they make during roleplay.
Add to what Lee, Lifeson and Peart excellently put forth as a true insight in the psyche of a young person just starting out, and you have the excellent ingredients of an adventuring persona -
Learning that we're only immortal for a limited time
To put it in another way, starting with a so called younger character provides a strong opportunity for growth, development and change, which is one of the things that separate a character that is very believable from one that is thinner and less dimensional.
That is not to say that this cannot happen with older characters ... save that, by their very nature, older characters would have certain behaviors and beliefs set, based on their previous (unplayed) experiences. It lets you experiment with the truth or falsehood of the old adage of whether or not an old dog can be taught a new trick.
True younger characters are probably the hardest to run well as a player character as opposed to an NPC ... having to tread that fine line between being an effective and enjoyable character that allows you to accomplish what you need to to participate and enjoy the game versus the tendency for a "child" character to be artifically advanced in knowledge, mannerisms, skills and cultural influence.
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