Page 20 - IFV Issue 12 2022

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

18 • Issue 12 2022 • The Villager