When we are teenagers, the vast variety of options available can be considered extreme. The rational part of a teen’s brain is not fully developed and won’t be, until at least the age of twenty-five. Can you just imagine the radical thoughts I would have experienced at the time?
According to research completed at the University of Rochester, studies show adult and teenage brains work differently. Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, which is stimulated by the rational part of the brain. This is the part of the brain that responds to situations with good judgment and an awareness of long-term consequences. The teenage brain processes information with the amygdala, this is the emotional stimulus.
In teenage brains, the connections between the emotion and the decision-making are still in development, however, this is not always at the same rate.
That’s the reason teenagers can experience an overwhelming amount of emotional involvement. Some teenagers experience difficulty attempting to explain what they may have been thinking at the time and studies show they are likely to have been “feeling” more than they were actually “thinking.”
Extract from my book: Who Am I?
