Imagine a gardener, pruning trees and plants of its useless limbs. This process of removing unneeded material may seem unnatural or man-made, yet, it occurs in the brain during the teen years. Pruning, or the removal of unused connections in the brain, is essential to brain development. Gray and White matter are also essential, which store information and make new neuron connections. Furthermore, new studies show that neuron connections are actively being made throughout teen years. The teenage brains goes through many processes, such as pruning, developing grey matter, and making new connections. Teenagers may seem like they purposely make bad decisions and want to annoy people; however, it is not completely their fault.
Pruning usually takes place between the ages of 11 and 14. During this process teens may lose a great amount “of the connections between cells of the brain that enable him or her to think clearly.” This is part of the reason teens may seem to not be able to make good decisions (Boyd). The connections that are weeded out are the ones that are not used, or unneeded (Giedd). Though a loss of these connections may seem bad, it is a good thing. Pruning speeds up information processing in
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Gray matter, an outer layer of the brain that stores and processes information, peaks at age 12. This large amount of gray matter means that the brain is constantly learning and absorbing information “throughout childhood [and] continues to do so through adolescence” (Hamalainen). White matter, made up of a fatty white substance, “insulates nerve cells [helps] speed up connections.” White matter does not make all new connections at one time, but once the brain is in the teen years, white matter has already made many important connections in the brain (Jensen). Teens are still able to study for tests or use their motor skills, however, they don’t have all the same connections as an
Paul Thompson in the article “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains” claims that a teenager is not an adult and should not be treated as one. Thompson supports his claim by first explaining about the research his group has done. He then describes the results of the research by stating, “But what really caught our eye was a massive loss of brain tissue that occurs in the teenage years… are only being lost in the areas controlling impulses, risk-taking and self-control”(Paragraph 7). This means that during the teenage years, those part of the brain are vastly immature. Lastly, the author explains that during this reshaping of the brain, it does not remove their accountability. He also states, “While research on brain-tissue loss can help understand
In “Can You Build a Better Brain”, the author, Sharon Begley discusses how the cognition processes better. He starts by presenting some experiments that prove nutrition did not support the brain smarter. According to the article, he believes that the “cognitive capacity” can be amended by concentration in people’s behavior. He further believes that people’s intelligence do not depend on own skills; however, as long as people peceive new things, their synapses and brain systems will
In “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet”, William Shakespeare explains the idea that parental support is needed for teenagers. In the play two teenagers secretly get married and then commit suicide. Parents should let their kids do what they want but they can’t let them run loose..The amount of parental guidance in a teens life affects them greatly.
14, 2002). Riley is currently experiencing physical changes in her body such as developing breast, getting her period, and hormonal fluctuations. Along with these other changes, her prefrontal cortex is still developing. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for decision-making, planning, and impulse control (Micucci, 2012). “The physical changes associated with puberty, in themselves, have little negative impact on the adolescent’s self-image, except in one instance: when adolescents are going through puberty around the same time they are experiencing other changes in life, such as changing schools”(Micucci, p. 18,
As every child grows up in a different environment, not all have a safe one to grow up in and as a result everything that surrounds them becomes apart of the clarity that their mind incorporates and becomes apart of that child 's behavior of way. In terms of brain development children or teens often listen, and see what is around them, it is also said, by researchers of the National Institute of Health, that in recent studies that were made that in teen years massive loss of brain tissue...
In the article “Brain Gain: The Underground World of “Neuroenhancing” Drugs” (Yorker 2009) Margaret Talbot discusses the misuse of prescription drugs that enhance academic performance at the college level. First Talbot introduces readers to a young college history major at Harvard University named Alex who receives a description of a demanding, busy life which seems impossible to control without the safety unapproved adopted use of a drug named Adderall. After that Alex’s dependency on the prescription drugs cognitive enhancers is described when he asks his doctor to increase the amount of intake and the listing of his daily routine on using Adderall during a week that required him to write four term papers. Next Talbot describes a personal
...to the article Startling Finds on Teenage Brains by Paul Thompson from Sacramento Bee, published on May 25, 2001 “...brain cells and connections are only being lost in areas controlling impulses, risk-taking, and self-control.”, during this loss of brain tissue, the juvenile cannot their impulses which can cause erratic behavior. Juveniles may not even mean to act this way they just do. It may even be something that they are necessarily aware of. Or they may be aware of it but do not notice the need to change. Juveniles just need a something to keep them out of trouble and not everyone has one.
Paul Thompson in the article, “Startling Finds on Teenage Brains”, claims that the youth thinks differently, especially when it comes to them facing criminal charges. Thompson supports his claims by first citing an example of a real case involving a minor. He then cites research from reliable sources as evidence to back up his claim. Lastly, the author investigates the law system’s way of handling the case mentioned previously in the article as a way to leave options open for the viewer. Thompson’s purpose is to convince the audience that though the research given shows that youth suffer brain tissue loss in their teen years, it gives them no excuse for violent behavior so that he can possibly give a well informed side of the argument. The
Beautiful Brains by David Dobbs is an article about why teenagers usually take more risks than adults. In the article Dobbs begins by discussing how his son once got in trouble for speeding down a highway just because he was curious to know what it felt like. He then goes into asking why teenagers often do "stupid" things and then explains that teens have always done that throughout time. He provides scientific evidence that the brain changes between the ages of 12 to 25 affecting our decision making. One way that a reader could interpret this data is that teenagers have a hard time using new parts of their brain and seem to be in a state of retardation. Dobb also describes the reckless acts of teenagers in order for them to adapt to any situation.
In the nonfiction article “The Teen Brain: Still under construction” by NIMH, the author believes the teen brain is still developing emotionally, intellectually, and hormonally.
It has been found that juvenile brains are not yet fully developed. The parts of the brain specifically still changing during the teen years include the brain circuitry involved in emotional responses and impulsive responses. Teen emotional reactions are intense and urgent (National Institute
The period of adolescence is a time of immense changes, both biologically and socially, through self-discovery and identification. During adolescence, the human body goes through a wave of hormonal changes in preparation for sexual reproduction. As the individual reaches adulthood, this process is called puberty (Arnett, 2015, p. 350). In addition to the physical changes, teens undergo many social and psychological changes as they approach adulthood, preparing them for the many responsibilities to come (Arnett, 2015, p. 350). Adolescence is constructed by changes in relation to the physical, cognitive, and emotional states of an individual. Within each of these developmental areas, teens mature in varying ways. In regards to physical changes, adolescents undergo the previously mentioned process of puberty, but they also face many issues such as eating disorders and substance abuse (Arnett, 2015, p. 357-359). For cognitive development, teens undergo
New Releases. (n.d.). The adolescent brain: Beyond raging hormones. Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog-extra/the-adolescent-brain-beyond-raging-hormones
Many parents are confused on why their teens behave in a impulsive, irrational, and risky behavior. A study showed that brain activity and brain changes is unique in teenagers. A teenagers brain is different from an adult and a young child 's wich is proven with research by psychologists. “ Although teens want to explore
As human beings we are living organisms that are a step above the rest. Our unique anatomy gives us the innate ability to grow, change, and adapt to our surroundings. Our stages of life can be divided into birth, childhood, adolescents, young adult, adult, and older adult. At each stage not only does our physical appearance change and hit milestones so does our anatomy. Our prefrontal cortex continues to develop until we are in our mid twenties for example. Thats why as teenagers and even young adults we are still developing motor, cognitive, and social behaviors. This explains why teenagers are the worse drivers, their judgement and foresight has not reached it’s full potential. Here is a chart that compares the human prefrontal cortex development to that of a rat. You can see well into the age of 32 the prefrontal cortex is still developing in humans.image