The Adolescents: The Teenage Brain

Adolescent is defined as a young person who is developing into an adult. Adolescents are passed the stage of being a child and yet not considered an adult. Adolescents also referred to as teens or teenagers float in the middle of both categories, undefined and unexplained for decades until the publication of recent research. Frances E. Jensen, M.D., a neuroscientist and a single mother sheds a new perspective on the brains and behaviors of adolescents and young adults in her book titled “The Teenage Brain”. Motivated by her personal experience, drawing on her research knowledge and clinical experience she provides insight into the development and structure of the adolescent brain that yields into practical suggestions for adults, professionals, and teenagers. The Teenage Brain explains why teenagers are not as resilient to drugs, alcohol and mental disorders and reveals the impact of multitasking and stress.
The Teenage Brain begins with on overview of the brain structures for cognitive and emotional functioning. The development of the brain is a process that starts from the back and moves forward to the more advanced parts of the brain. A remarkable fact that was stated within the text is that the amygdala is highly reactive to emotion however …show more content…
At the moment I don’t believe parents and students take into consideration the effects of social media on brain development. Adolescents and parents need to be made aware of possible addictions to social media and video games. Social media is a distraction for teens and can often make it difficult for them to prioritize with other life activities. The book provided evidence that there is a great need for parents to develop parameters around the use and exposure to social media. As educators, we can support teens by informing them of these influences and the repercussions on their