Growing Up Brainy

Something I already knew that was confirmed:

I already knew that adolescence is a time of increased risk-taking behavior. Based on what I have seen others around me and my own experiences, as teenagers grow up, we like to try new and exciting things. We are also really interested in fitting in with our friends. Sometimes, we may do things that are dangerous or risky just to look cool in front of our friends. This was confirmed in both Claudia Wallis's article and Sarah-Jayne Blakemore's TED talk "The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain."

Something that was new:

One thing that was new to me was the idea that the prefrontal cortex doesn't fully develop until the mid-20s, as discussed in Blakemore's TED talk. This helps explain why teenagers may engage in impulsive or risky behavior, as they don't have the same level of cognitive control and decision-making abilities as adults.

Something confusing:

One thing that was confusing to me was the conflicting information on the impact of technology on the adolescent brain. Wallis's article suggested that excessive screen time may have negative effects on brain development, while Blakemore's talk mentioned that technology use can have both positive and negative effects on the brain. I would like to learn more about the current research on this topic to better understand the potential impacts of technology on adolescent brain development.