Posted by Psilocybin at 12:44am Apr 15 '11In honor of National Youth Rights Day, I'd like to post an article by psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein from the April 2007 issue of Scientific American.
This deals with the junk science regarding teen brains, much of which uses physical differences in brains to "prove" that teens and inferior and immature.
However, as Epstein notes, in non-Westernized cultures without a concept of adolescence or youth culture -- those of the traditional, "tribal" type -- none of the pathologies -- moodiness, angst, anorexia, conflict with parents, high crime rates -- that are associated in the West with adolescents occur. They are treated like adults and act like adults. The conclusion here is that the turmoil from the situation that America puts its teens into, with education, laws restricting the freedom of teens, and a social structure that segregates teens and adults, is responsible for shaping teens' brains and making them do what they do.
In spite of all this, the teen-age brain is still superior to the adult brain in many ways. One of these is in tests of automatic memory, which peaks in early teens and is the lowest among seniors.
Another theme in Epstein's article is how "frivolous" youth culture takes over a teen's life in Western countries and replaces learning how to be an adult. I reflect this theme in my play Angst, as the high school students at Dulcevida pay their allegiance in song to "The Teen-age Life" as a substitute for citizenship of the U.S., a country that declares teens to be third-class citizens. The Teen-age Life fills the gap left empty by the teens' lack of interest in obeying the laws of the United States and fitting into society.
All in all, a good read; I would even say a must-read. But don't just read my summary. Read the whole article yourself and start a conversation about it.
This deals with the junk science regarding teen brains, much of which uses physical differences in brains to "prove" that teens and inferior and immature.
However, as Epstein notes, in non-Westernized cultures without a concept of adolescence or youth culture -- those of the traditional, "tribal" type -- none of the pathologies -- moodiness, angst, anorexia, conflict with parents, high crime rates -- that are associated in the West with adolescents occur. They are treated like adults and act like adults. The conclusion here is that the turmoil from the situation that America puts its teens into, with education, laws restricting the freedom of teens, and a social structure that segregates teens and adults, is responsible for shaping teens' brains and making them do what they do.
In spite of all this, the teen-age brain is still superior to the adult brain in many ways. One of these is in tests of automatic memory, which peaks in early teens and is the lowest among seniors.
Another theme in Epstein's article is how "frivolous" youth culture takes over a teen's life in Western countries and replaces learning how to be an adult. I reflect this theme in my play Angst, as the high school students at Dulcevida pay their allegiance in song to "The Teen-age Life" as a substitute for citizenship of the U.S., a country that declares teens to be third-class citizens. The Teen-age Life fills the gap left empty by the teens' lack of interest in obeying the laws of the United States and fitting into society.
All in all, a good read; I would even say a must-read. But don't just read my summary. Read the whole article yourself and start a conversation about it.