The frontal lobe is a part of the brain that sits in the very front. This part of the brain is responsible for judgment, empathy, insight, and impulse control. The frontal lobe is not fully developed until around the age of twenty five. Because this isn’t fully functioning, teenagers have a harder time reasoning and making snap decisions. The development, or lack thereof, of the frontal lobe can affect the way teenagers act.
Even though the frontal lobe isn’t fully developed, it doesn’t mean they don’t have one. Students may use their frontal lobe when taking their SATs or ACTs, as well as in math and science classes. However they cannot access it as quickly when they need to make a decision immediately. For example, teenagers are more susceptible …show more content…
This is because they have so many synapses. Synapses grow by being excited or turned on, which causes good experiences to leave their mark quicker. Unfortunately, bad experiences leave their mark as well. Addiction is actually a form of synaptic plasticity, so when the brain gets the ‘reward’ a drug temporarily provides, the brain starts to build a stronger synapse. And because teenagers are still so impressionable, drugs can become more addictive than they are to adults, and it can be harder to shake this habit later in life.
Although heightened emotions and lack of impulse control are normal for this age group, it is still important to be on the lookout for mental illnesses. Schizophrenia, bipolar, and depression seem to blossom around the late teens and early twenties. However, if there is an extreme weight loss or gain, abnormal sleeping patterns, or seem to be abusing substances, this may be something you need to look into. Anxiety can be an underlying disorder for many mental illnesses. Some symptoms of anxiety to look out for include headaches, stomachaches, fatigue or even hyperventilation.
In conclusion, the frontal lobe can play a significant role in understanding what goes on in the mind of a teenager. Since the frontal lobe has not completed its development, it gives teenagers a valid excuse as to why they do some of the things that they
Even though the frontal lobe isn’t fully developed, it doesn’t mean they don’t have one. Students may use their frontal lobe when taking their SATs or ACTs, as well as in math and science classes. However they cannot access it as quickly when they need to make a decision immediately. For example, teenagers are more susceptible …show more content…
This is because they have so many synapses. Synapses grow by being excited or turned on, which causes good experiences to leave their mark quicker. Unfortunately, bad experiences leave their mark as well. Addiction is actually a form of synaptic plasticity, so when the brain gets the ‘reward’ a drug temporarily provides, the brain starts to build a stronger synapse. And because teenagers are still so impressionable, drugs can become more addictive than they are to adults, and it can be harder to shake this habit later in life.
Although heightened emotions and lack of impulse control are normal for this age group, it is still important to be on the lookout for mental illnesses. Schizophrenia, bipolar, and depression seem to blossom around the late teens and early twenties. However, if there is an extreme weight loss or gain, abnormal sleeping patterns, or seem to be abusing substances, this may be something you need to look into. Anxiety can be an underlying disorder for many mental illnesses. Some symptoms of anxiety to look out for include headaches, stomachaches, fatigue or even hyperventilation.
In conclusion, the frontal lobe can play a significant role in understanding what goes on in the mind of a teenager. Since the frontal lobe has not completed its development, it gives teenagers a valid excuse as to why they do some of the things that they