it saddens me to read about all the people with parents that don't respect their privacy. I realize it's a reality, but it really seems to be terribly unjust. The whole "my house, my rules!" thing in particular, try that with an actual renter/landlord relationship sometime and see how quickly you land your butt in court. As far as I care, if I'm paying to live there, my money, my rules. You want your own rules? Drop the rent and that will look like a much fairer deal. But on the other hand, if you're paying $100/mo for a room or a basement/attic, have utilities, facilities, and furnishings, it's arguable you are trading a steep discount on rent in exchange for some fredoms. A lot of us just can't afford to say "screw this I'm outa here!"
If you're under 18, as I said before, legally they are allowed to do it. (though I draw serious issue with those that are 17 and are paying rent, that law works both ways, pricks) Past 18 though, you're really better off trying to get independent. You're going to have to do it eventually, and it's frequently a rough transition, but it's something almost everyone has to go through at some point. If you're having "my house, my rules!" issues, sooner is better than later.
I think that most people can do pretty well if they can find two roommates to start with. I know several groups that have done that, and three in a modest size place is usually enough to allow everyone to start saving up some cash. Eventually one of them will hook up with a gf/bf and move out or get better job and their own place, and you'll be left with one roommate, and sometimes that can last for a number of years. A lot of that time I see one of them get a gf and now its back up to 3, and eventually the other batchelor moves out. That makes a nice gradual transition for everyone, each going at the speed they want to. The trick there always seems to be finding good roommates. People can be so unpredictable - ones you've known for years just not reacting or behaving like you'd totally expect them to. But it's almost always better than "my house, my rules".