1) When it comes to the adolescent brain and the adult brain, the big difference between the two is that the adult brain is fully developed while the adolescent brain is still in the process of synaptic pruning. Synaptic pruning is a process that involves the removal of certain connections between neurons, which allows the brain to function to efficiently. This pruning process is something that we experience until our brain reaches adulthood when we are in our mid-twenties. During adolescence the area of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex experiences a lot of pruning. This means that adolescents are getting better at thinking ahead, planning, impulse control, and weighing risks and rewards (Steinberg, 2014, p.67). However, adults are
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At least to my understanding I didn’t. I definitely played it safe and I honestly didn’t have a lot of interest in what I guess most would consider risky teenage behavior. I do remember though that a large part of the reason why I had wanted to drink alcohol was because it seemed like many of my peers had, and I guess I just wanted to know what it was like. When I was a teenager I did consume alcohol on a handful of occasions, but it was never a lot. I was honestly more or less just tasting it, so I would have a few sips and then hand it off to someone else. In fact, I’m certain that on most of the occasions that I did consume alcohol it wasn’t even enough to consider a full drink, and any time I did drink I was in my own house. So, there was no risk of me doing something reckless. Also my short and sporadic experiences with alcohol led me to realize that I actually don’t like the taste of most alcoholic drinks. I think one of changes that I was experiencing was in my limbic system, which is important for making sense of social information (Steinberg, 2014, p.71). One reason why I wanted to drink was because my peers were and I wanted to understand what was so great about it. I also wanted to be able to fit in with my peers and say that I had alcohol
At least to my understanding I didn’t. I definitely played it safe and I honestly didn’t have a lot of interest in what I guess most would consider risky teenage behavior. I do remember though that a large part of the reason why I had wanted to drink alcohol was because it seemed like many of my peers had, and I guess I just wanted to know what it was like. When I was a teenager I did consume alcohol on a handful of occasions, but it was never a lot. I was honestly more or less just tasting it, so I would have a few sips and then hand it off to someone else. In fact, I’m certain that on most of the occasions that I did consume alcohol it wasn’t even enough to consider a full drink, and any time I did drink I was in my own house. So, there was no risk of me doing something reckless. Also my short and sporadic experiences with alcohol led me to realize that I actually don’t like the taste of most alcoholic drinks. I think one of changes that I was experiencing was in my limbic system, which is important for making sense of social information (Steinberg, 2014, p.71). One reason why I wanted to drink was because my peers were and I wanted to understand what was so great about it. I also wanted to be able to fit in with my peers and say that I had alcohol