What were they Thinking? The Adolescent Brain Teenagers in the 21st century. A girl whose parents always told her that hot, popular boys aren’t so ‘hot’ in the inside, becomes pregnant by a boy she barely even knew. The shy boy who always knew never to take drugs or alcohol from anyone, goes to a party and comes home, drunk. An extremely gifted kid who excelled all throughout high school, drops out of college and now lives in their parent’s attic, with barely any money in the bank or even a job. Teenagers struggle to make logical, well thought out decisions due to an ineffective prefrontal cortex. They take part in the use of illegal drugs and alcohol, violence, and sexual behaviors. Yet, during this stage of disobedience and defiance, brain
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To begin, “The long held idea that human brain development is virtually complete within the first few years of life is a serious misconception. Many aspects of brain maturation continue throughout childhood and well into late teenage years.” (Beyond Raging Hormones: The Tinderbox in the Teenage Brain 2.) Teenagers nowadays are expected to act and make decisions like adults. However, this high expectation should not be placed on a teenager’s shoulders if their brain is not fully developed until their mid 20s. Because of underdevelopment of the brain, teens still need to understand the responsibilities they have. Additionally, “The teenage brain is constantly changing, even right now.” (Insight into the Teenage Brain, Adriana Galvan.) The teenage brain is very sensitive to the environment. Every second of the day, the brain changes from the sounds, sights, thoughts, feelings that you encounter. Even the people a teenager is around may shape their brain. Likewise, studies have shown that the teenage brain is extremely malleable. “The brain is acting a bit like a sponge; it can soak up new information and change to make room for it, a concept known as plasticity.” Plasticity helps teens pick up new skills and experiences before their brain is fully molded. This the reason to why the ability to learn something new is easier in this age window. In …show more content…
For example, when I was around younger, I got extremely mad at younger brother, Zachary or also known as Zachy. This was normal for me as a kid since I always got angry at him for no reason. I used to bite his little fingers, used his binkie as a child, and easily got annoyed at him. One day, I got so mad, that I scratched a V shape on his cheek. To add, my fingernails were sharp. He cried like the annoying baby that he was. The blood was seeping out of the scratch he wailed. My mom came back and wiped the scar and she narrowed her eyes at me. She gave me a “palo” which means a spank in Tagalog. I got in huge trouble for scratching Zachy. This demonstrates my impulsivity as a kid. My adolescent brain was still growing and changing and still is. My prefrontal cortex is not yet developed, causing me to act on impulse. Moreover, in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet also acted on impulse. Their actions were all because of their underdeveloped brain. The star crossed lovers didn’t think logically due to their adolescent brain, leading to their deaths. Now, think of this. Sometimes, good teens make bad decisions. It doesn’t mean they’re bad. It simply means they’re
To begin, “The long held idea that human brain development is virtually complete within the first few years of life is a serious misconception. Many aspects of brain maturation continue throughout childhood and well into late teenage years.” (Beyond Raging Hormones: The Tinderbox in the Teenage Brain 2.) Teenagers nowadays are expected to act and make decisions like adults. However, this high expectation should not be placed on a teenager’s shoulders if their brain is not fully developed until their mid 20s. Because of underdevelopment of the brain, teens still need to understand the responsibilities they have. Additionally, “The teenage brain is constantly changing, even right now.” (Insight into the Teenage Brain, Adriana Galvan.) The teenage brain is very sensitive to the environment. Every second of the day, the brain changes from the sounds, sights, thoughts, feelings that you encounter. Even the people a teenager is around may shape their brain. Likewise, studies have shown that the teenage brain is extremely malleable. “The brain is acting a bit like a sponge; it can soak up new information and change to make room for it, a concept known as plasticity.” Plasticity helps teens pick up new skills and experiences before their brain is fully molded. This the reason to why the ability to learn something new is easier in this age window. In …show more content…
For example, when I was around younger, I got extremely mad at younger brother, Zachary or also known as Zachy. This was normal for me as a kid since I always got angry at him for no reason. I used to bite his little fingers, used his binkie as a child, and easily got annoyed at him. One day, I got so mad, that I scratched a V shape on his cheek. To add, my fingernails were sharp. He cried like the annoying baby that he was. The blood was seeping out of the scratch he wailed. My mom came back and wiped the scar and she narrowed her eyes at me. She gave me a “palo” which means a spank in Tagalog. I got in huge trouble for scratching Zachy. This demonstrates my impulsivity as a kid. My adolescent brain was still growing and changing and still is. My prefrontal cortex is not yet developed, causing me to act on impulse. Moreover, in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet also acted on impulse. Their actions were all because of their underdeveloped brain. The star crossed lovers didn’t think logically due to their adolescent brain, leading to their deaths. Now, think of this. Sometimes, good teens make bad decisions. It doesn’t mean they’re bad. It simply means they’re