Final answer:
Personal pronouns are based on gender and preference, not age. ‘He’ and ‘she’ are used for male and female individuals respectively, while ‘they’ is a gender-neutral pronoun that is respectful and commonly accepted when gender is unknown or for individuals who prefer non-binary pronouns.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of personal pronouns does not depend on the age of the person you are referring to but rather on their gender, and in some cases, their preference. The traditional personal pronouns for someone known to be male are he/him/his, while for someone known to be female, the pronouns would be she/her/hers. However, it is becoming increasingly common to use the gender-neutral pronouns they/them/their when a person's gender is unknown, they identify outside of the gender binary, or they have indicated a preference for non-gendered pronouns. In situations where you are unsure of someone's preferred pronouns, the best practice is to ask them or simply use their name. Using it as a personal pronoun for a human is generally considered disrespectful and dehumanizing, regardless of the person's age.