GE B1 Unit 8 Reading Test B

The teenage brain

One day, someone I work with told me that her oldest boy, who was fi fteen at the time, came home with three earrings. He hadn’t asked for permission and didn’t think he needed to. She couldn’t work out why he was being like this and went to look for books on the subject. Although there were plenty advising her about what to do, there were none explaining why he was behaving that way. So, with a grateful co-worker watching on, I decided to find out.

One common complaint from parents is the mess that teenagers create. The teenage brain is not connected like an adult’s. As we grow, it takes time for the parts of the brain to connect to each other The last sections to join the network have an impact on planning, making teenagers less skillful at judging how long each task will take. As tidying is generally low on most teenagers’ lists of things to worry about, the few minutes it takes just aren’t planned for. So although it appears they’re messy because they can’t be bothered, this isn’t actually the case.

Adults often get angry when teenagers appear unable to leave their smartphones alone, even at mealtimes. Teenage brains are hungry for excitement but still fi nd knowing when they’ve had enough of something hard to judge. The part of the brain that controls this is yet to be fully connected. Although research demonstrates that teenagers are better than adults at doing several things at once, they also find smartphones more attractive, as they offer the excitement they want.

My own children are now teenagers and, thanks to my research, I’ve found that knowing what’s happening in their brains makes them easier to deal with. Of course, I still fi nd some of their behaviour unacceptable, and tell them so, but I always wait for longer, to allow them to correct their mistakes before I comment or punish. However, guessing, or trying to change, what they might do is just as difficult as ever. Adults expect far too much of teenagers, and blame them more than they should. Their brains are still developing, and we shouldn’t forget that.