Brain Research - Teenage Brain
by Jared Peterson
The Teenage Brain
There are many problems with most teens when their brains start to mature. A lot of changes happen when teenager’s brains start to develop. The online article “The Teenage Brain: it’s Just Not Grown Up Yet” is mostly about how teens act when their brains develop. One way it’s different is the frontal lobes aren’t fully connected. Another thing that the frontal lobe does is to see if teens think what they do is a good idea. It’s not easy for them if isn’t fully connected.
The section “The Teenage Brain,” in the book “The Human Brain,” is about the different changes that happen in different areas of the brain. Most of the gray matter decreases in the teenage brain and gets replaced by the white matter. Teenagers often lack judgments and might get impulse problems.
The NY Times article “Why Teenagers Act Crazy,” is mostly about how teenagers act when adolescence hits them. If adolescence hits them, they could be novelty seekers and risk-takers trying to do new things. They experience more fear and anxiety because the amygdala is more developed than the front part called the pre-frontal cortex.
The section “Inside the Teenage Brain,” from the book “What Goes on in my head?” is about the changes that happen inside the brain for teens. You get a brain with more white matter than gray matter. Teens can suffer from mood swings and get into aggressive behavior.
In conclusion, learning about the teenage brain is important because a lot of changes happen when their brain develops and teens think and act differently like getting more fear and anxiety, having a hard time concentrating, and to see if something is a good idea.
5 To Know Before You Go!
Other facts about the Teenage Brain
- About 20 percent of adolescences in United States experience anxiety disorders
- Activities learned as a teenager reinforce specific neuronal pathways while unused are removed
- A teen who smokes pot will show cognitive deficiencies
- The teenage brain gets equipped for teens to deal with social challenges
- When the prefrontal cortex begins to mature, adolescents have less ability to modulate emotions.
Citations
Carter, Rita. The Developing Brain. Great Britan: Dorling Kindersley, 2009. Print.
Friedman, Richard A.
"Why Teenagers Act Crazy." The New York Times 28 June 2014: 1-6. New York Times. Web. 8 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/opinion/sunday/why-teenagers-act-crazy.html?_r=0>.
Knox, Richard. "The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown up yet." NPR (Morning Edition). National Public Radio, 1 Mar. 2010. Web. 4 Dec. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124119468>.
Winston, Robert. What Goes on in My Head? London: DK Publishing, 2010. Print.
http://www.weteachwelearn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Teenage-brain.jpg
http://whsmassmedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/inside-teenage-brain.html
https://shop.lightswitchlearning.com/index.php/the-teenage-brain.html