Page 30 - FWG December Issue 2022

Today’s Child

Certain perceptual and motor skills such scans show greater dopamine activity of a button. It’s also a time of invention,
as language are stabilised long before in teenagers compared to adults flux and creativity, where new ways of
adolescence, making these skills harder and younger children. Dopamine is interacting and learning are occurring at
to learn after this childhood phase. associated with pleasure and curiosity. breakneck speed. This poses questions
This is why teens are more likely to try about how best we can parent and guide
Still, the frontal cortex continues to build and new experiences. our children. It also means that studying
prune networks throughout puberty and in the traditional ways may not apply in
into early adulthood. Frontal and parietal The willingness to try out new things can the near future.
lobe development continues and appears as be positive as it enables the teenager to
increasing amounts of white matter on MRI focus on their personal development, In addition, research shows that
scans. These developing areas are important assess their boundaries and acquire teenagers experience increased activity
for enabling a person to regulate emotions, decision-making skills. For example, in the medial prefrontal cortex. This area
problem-solve, maintain attention and embarking on a romantic relationship of the brain is related to self-evaluation
engage in abstract reasoning. Intellectual will help a teen understand what kind of and has to do with how one interacts
stimulation is vital at this age, when there is partner they want in life. with and responds to others. While
huge capacity for learning. it’s important for teenagers to form
Adolescents today are growing up in a friendships, interacting with others can
Brain imaging shows that the areas more open society, aided and abetted be difficult, especially for teens subjected
of the brain associated with reward in large part by technology. Thanks to peer pressure and those who suffer
generally develop more quickly than to digital advancement, their access from social anxiety.
those associated with inhibitions and to the wider world is immediate and
self-control – which explains a lot! The communication takes place at the touch Based on their brain development, teens

Fourways Gardens • 28 • December 2022