Children and people with mental peculiarities often have their behaviors accepted by society. However, teenagers are frequently subjected to judgment for their “oddities,” which are in reality typical adolescent tendencies. Neurophysiologists have recently gained a better understanding of the changes that occur in the human brain during adolescence, including a propensity for risk-taking and a fixation on experiences. David Robson explains why it is unreasonable to expect teenagers to behave like either children or adults, and outlines strategies for helping them navigate the challenges of this developmental stage.
Terry Apter, a psychologist, recalls the experience of explaining to an eighteen-year-old how the brain functions during this stage of development. Upon hearing the explanation, the teenager exclaimed with delight, “So that’s why I feel like my head is exploding!”
Parents and teachers are acutely aware of the intense cognitive and emotional experiences that teenagers undergo. It can seem as though an individual is undergoing a shocking transformation during this period, with their mind and soul being turned inside out. The sweet, innocent child that once was is now prone to sudden mood swings and identity crises, yearning for social acceptance, and frequently engaging in questionable activities driven by a thirst for adventure and risk-taking (pondering the consequences is seen as a trait of the unexciting and feeble).
Despite the tumultuous emotional landscape of adolescence, academic performance remains a crucial aspect of a teenager’s life. While it is not the most significant aspect of one’s existence at the age of eighteen, good grades are essential for admission to prestigious universities, which in turn can provide greater employment opportunities in the future. Nevertheless, the emotional highs and lows experienced during this period can pose significant obstacles to teenagers as they strive to reach their intellectual potential.
It is only in the last two decades that scientists have gained a deeper understanding of the changes that take place in the teenage brain. This revelation not only sheds light on the thought processes and behaviors that are typical of this age group, but also illuminates the hidden potential of traits that adults often perceive as problematic or perplexing in teenagers.
Furthermore, adolescence is characterized by swift cognitive development. Teenagers build upon the thinking skills acquired during childhood to tackle more sophisticated concepts, such as abstract thinking and introspection.
John Coleman, a clinical psychologist and author of “The Teacher and the Adolescent Brain,” notes that sexual maturation was not a topic commonly discussed in schools half a century ago. He believes that in the future, people will look back and wonder why there was not more emphasis on educating students about the changes taking place in their brains during adolescence. Coleman contends that this knowledge is essential and it is crucial to raise awareness of it.
It is not uncommon for teenagers to feel misunderstood and unheard, as conventional explanations for adolescent behavior tend to be unsophisticated and unnuanced. Adolescent inclinations towards risk-taking, defiance, impulsiveness, and irritability are often attributed to ignorance, immaturity, or solely to “raging” hormones and a surging libido, which is a narrow and simplistic interpretation of their experiences.
When teenagers express emotional distress, their concerns are sometimes met with derision and dismissal. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore asserts in her book “Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain” that despite the fact that it is deemed socially unacceptable to mock or demonize other segments of society, teenagers are often subjected to ridicule and disparagement with little consequence.
Even scientific theories have contributed to a negative perception of adolescence, which can further exacerbate feelings of disconnection and alienation. For instance, in the 1950s, psychoanalyst Anna Freud proposed the notion that teenagers attempt to “divorce” themselves from their parents by cutting off their familial ties to progress. According to psychologist and author of “The Teenage Guide to Life Online,” Terry Apter, the theory posited that “the teenager seeks to exclude the parent from his or her inner life.”
Although these theories may contain some kernel of truth, they often fail to account for the complexities of the teenage experience. Terry Apter’s research involving interviews with both teenagers and their parents revealed that many adolescents long for their parents’ approval and acceptance. While they may desire independence, they are not necessarily willing to sacrifice their relationship with their parents in order to achieve it.
Apter posits that in order to support and guide teenagers, we must give greater consideration to the social and emotional struggles that adolescents face. As they transition into adulthood, teenagers may feel self-conscious about the changes occurring within their bodies and the societal pressures placed upon them. These feelings of alienation can lead to a sense of disconnection from oneself.
It is essential to consider the anatomical changes occurring in the brain during adolescence. The advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging has allowed scientists to look inside the “black box” of the brain and witness the changes that occur during this period. Adolescence is marked by a significant reorganization of the brain, with the prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning and decision-making, continuing to develop.
How does the teenage brain change?
During the transition from childhood to adulthood, the brain undergoes significant changes that include the following:
- The brain’s frontal cortex creates and shrinks networks throughout adolescence to become more efficient and expand one’s horizons.
- The brain’s frontal and temporal lobes strengthen the most important connections, resulting in a noticeable increase in “white matter” in brain scans.
- As a result of these changes, some areas of the brain develop faster than others, which can affect behavior. For instance, reward-related areas generally develop faster than those linked to self-control, which may contribute to impulsive decision-making.
During the first few months of life, the brain establishes many connections between neurons and prunes away excess, leading to more efficient neural networks. This innate “plasticity” endows a young child’s brain with high flexibility, allowing them to learn how to walk and talk actively.
In several brain regions, including those involved in processing sensory data, the connections between neurons usually stabilize long before adolescence, making it challenging to acquire certain perceptual or motor skills such as language or music.
Despite the fact that the brain undergoes significant changes during early childhood, it remains a dynamic organ that continues to change throughout adolescence and early adulthood. The brain’s ability to create and prune connections between neurons persists throughout puberty and adolescence. Furthermore, in the frontal and temporal lobes, crucial connections are strengthened as the brain produces a fatty insulating sheath called myelin, which enhances signal transmission. The growth of myelin is evident in brain scans as an increase in “white matter” volume during adolescence. These areas of development are vital for emotional regulation, attention maintenance, problem-solving, and abstract thinking.
Despite losing some of the plasticity it had in early childhood, the teenage brain continues to develop, making it highly receptive to intellectual stimulation and possessing a significant capacity for learning. Teenagers can build on the learning methods developed in childhood and acquire more advanced ways of comprehending the world.
However, the neurological and psychological changes that teenagers undergo can occasionally shock individuals, but these changes can also account for some of the typical behaviors observed in this age group.
Let us examine the widely recognized inclination of teenagers towards risk-taking, breaking rules, and rebelling.
Brain studies indicate that the regions of the brain linked to reward undergo faster development than those linked to inhibition and self-control, as evidenced by increased activity in the transmission of signals and dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and curiosity, in the brains of teenagers relative to adults and younger children. Teenagers experience a surge of dopamine in their brains when they encounter something novel or exhilarating.
Teenagers’ increased susceptibility to trying new things should come as no surprise. However, such a mindset can lead to impulsive and risky decision-making. Nevertheless, curiosity can also prove advantageous since teenagers experience many emotions that are beneficial for making significant decisions in adulthood. For instance, falling in love can aid in determining the most compatible partner.
Curiously, data indicates that current teenagers may not have the same level of interest in sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll as their parents and grandparents did. However, their lighthearted approach to life may manifest in other forms, such as an attraction towards novel technologies. Additionally, teenagers’ tenacious pursuit of their own interests and disregard for authority can play a role in shaping technological, social, and political changes.
“A new generation that possesses a lot of inventiveness, entrepreneurialism, and creativity will explore the boundaries,” says Apter.
Parents and educators who hope that teenagers will devote more time to studying might be let down. However, if teenagers channel their energy towards attaining genuinely significant objectives, it can help raise society’s awareness, particularly in regards to global issues like climate change. It’s frequently teenagers and young adults who bravely resist dictatorships.
Mood swings in teenagers can be attributed to physiological and psychological processes linked to maturation. Many teenagers undergo intense fluctuations in neurotransmitter and hormone levels, such as serotonin, GABA, and cortisol, which impact their mood.
Coleman states, “If the level of serotonin, commonly known as the ‘feel-good hormone,’ decreases in your body, it can lead to a very low mood.”
Furthermore, teenagers exhibit heightened activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for processing information and responding to others. Research indicates that brain regions linked to self-esteem experience peak activity during mid-adolescence, especially concerning status-related information.
This aptitude for comprehending social interactions is essential for forming friendships among teenagers. However, it also makes teenagers more susceptible to feelings of neglect, indifference, and hostility, which can heighten their susceptibility to social anxiety.
Parents of teenagers may be surprised by how long their children can contemplate their own emotions. This is partly because teenagers have not yet developed the ability to comprehend and respond to their feelings constructively. If they have never encountered significant setbacks, for example, receiving a poor grade on an exam may leave them feeling disheartened. Teenagers’ behavior might seem melodramatic, but in truth, they are learning to navigate the complexities of their emotional world independently.
Additionally, teenagers often struggle with sleep, which is sometimes misconstrued as laziness or apathy. They might resist going to bed at a “reasonable time,” which is yet another example of their well-known rebellious tendencies. However, their biological clocks are structured in a way that does not synchronize with adult rhythms, which is beyond their control.
In teenagers, the fluctuation of melatonin levels is due to changes in their biological clocks, which regulate sleep-wake cycles. This can cause a misalignment between their internal clocks and the external demands of the school day, leading to sleep deprivation and daytime fatigue. Research suggests that starting school later in the morning can help align teenagers’ sleep patterns with their natural biological rhythms, leading to improved academic performance and overall well-being.
“Practically no adults have any melatonin left in their brains at nine in the morning,” Coleman says, “but it’s present in about half of teenagers at this time.”
Parents and teachers hoping to help teenagers cope with life’s difficulties, including academics that play a central role in adolescence, should take serious interest in these findings. When it comes to discipline, it’s important to note that teenage rebellion can lead to disappointment in adults. However, due to their emotional and social sensitivity, teenagers are unlikely to respond well to anger from adults.
“Although you really want to yell at them, it would be counterproductive,” Apter says. “They are so attentive to emotional messages that they won’t be able to understand the reasoning you’re trying to convey to them.”
Apter suggests that instead of calling teenagers lazy and punishing them, parents can ask them to make up for their wrongdoing. For instance, if a teenager has been neglecting their studies by spending too much time on entertainment, parents can ask them to demonstrate that they can study properly again. This way, they can earn the privilege of entertaining themselves once again.
Due to the increased level of dopamine in teenagers’ brains, praise and positive feedback can have a positive effect, especially if provided in a timely manner. According to Coleman, in many schools, students receive grades only weeks after completing tests or coursework, which reduces the excitement and joy of a good result.
“The faster you receive feedback, the stronger it affects you,” he says.
According to Coleman, praising students sooner and more frequently for their hard work can be more beneficial. Additionally, when it comes to sleep, schools should ideally change their schedules to allow for later class start times for teenagers. Furthermore, exams and tests should not be scheduled in the first half of the day. Coleman firmly believes that school administrators should consider these changes. At the very least, teachers and parents should be understanding of teenagers when they seem sleepy in the morning, as they experience something similar to jet lag. Additional stress is the last thing they need in that state.
Coleman believes that students could learn better if they understand the physiological process of learning. Rather than passively rereading excerpts before an exam, it’s better to actively engage with the material by trying to reproduce it from memory. For instance, summarizing recently read material or attempting to answer questions on the topic. This kind of interaction enables teenagers to utilize their brain flexibility to the fullest.
Expressing sincere interest in what teenagers feel and helping them understand the reasons for the problems they face can bring great benefits in itself, according to Apter. When talking about her work with teenagers, she notes that many of her meetings with them have been wonderful. She says that teenagers are particularly receptive to the idea that changes in their brains can be shaped by their actions. The truth is that the more they practice skills such as self-control and regulating their emotions, the better off they are themselves. Understanding this gives them strength.
If teenagers receive support, the mental explosion inherent in their age can be felt not as a shock but as a joyful fireworks display filled with creative energy. It can be dramatic but awe-inspiring.
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