I have long wondered why teenagers make stupid decisions, which we later regret. Why do we not realize at the time that we will regret our actions, and choose then not to do whatever it is. I decided to do some research this week on the teenage brain's wiring (not quite as fun as cookies, but still interesting).
The ventral striatum, active
during risk-taking tests, encourages behaviors that give us rewards. During adolescence, this part
of the brain is stronger than the more logical, organized part of the brain,
the prefrontal cortex. The ventral striatum encourages responses to rewards,
forcing teenagers to explore the world and become self-sufficient.
During adolescence, teenagers' brain regions begin to be
able to work together more efficiently and precisely. The new speed of
travelling information is caused by new insulation tissue that isolates axons
(fibers that connect the brain to nerve cells) from interfering signals. Excess
synapses (connections between axons and the brain) are discarded during teenage
years. Scientists call this process “synaptic pruning.” This strengthens the
synapses the brain consistently uses, but makes it more difficult to perform
new, unfamiliar tasks like language learning. Learning foreign languages at a
younger age is easier than starting a language in high school or college.
Synaptic pruning eliminates some of the language leaning synapses that it
believes to be unnecessary, in order to focus on the development of the native
tongue. When we need to use these language-learning synapses again (in high school or college), they are fewer, and it is much more difficult for our brian to make the right connections quickly and efficiently. Synaptic pruning, axon insulation, and the strength of the ventral striatum enable the teenage brain to make decisions, even if they are not always logical, thought-out choices. Here is a short video about research of the teenage brain.
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