The Teenage Mind

The Reasons Behind Teenagers Making Impulse Decisions

— Leah Emineth, General Reporter

All graphics made by Leah Emineth

The teen mind is something that confuses a lot of people including parents and teens themselves. Diving into the teen brain has shown many reasons as to why teenagers act the way they do. The brain is not fully developed until around the age of 25, which means that teens brains are still developing causing teens to have a different outlook than adults. It is unfair to say that teens are wrong for thinking a certain way because in their mind the stuff they are thinking and feeling are justifiable. Teens are constantly getting into trouble, but it is not necessary to get mad at kids for doing things that they do not realize are bad. A teens brain will tell them that the things they are doing are justifiable. A person would not yell at their young child for not knowing right from wrong, so why would it be any different for a teen who is still trying to learn right from wrong? Teens need to be allowed to take risks and have fun while they are young, instead of being under constant stress and anxiety. Teens do a lot of things that are rebellious and crazy, but there is a reason for those reckless decisions. According to University of Rochester Medical Center, “Adults think with the prefrontal cortex which is the brains rational part, and teens process information with the amygdala which is the emotional part.” This is why teens may act on impulse and have a lot of complex emotions and feelings. Teens act in a way that seems inappropriate to adults, but good judgement is not something that a teen can excel in yet because their brains physically are not ready. Kids can not be judged for their faults because it is simply not the teens fault. Parents are hard on their children when they do something wrong, but teens have not gone through the same things that parents have. It is important for parents to be understanding, because they have gone through the same things teens have. The teen brain is far from being completely developed, so they still have a lot to learn. Teens are far from perfect, but they still have time to grow and figure out who they are, while still being a little rebellious.

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