Brain Changes in Teenage Years
Risk Taking & Peer Pressure
Brain Development Effects
Teenagers and Emotions
Sleep and Teens
100

How long does a person's brain develop?

The brain continues to change and mature well into adulthood.

100

Is risk taking a positive or negative trait? 

Positive

100

What delays development of brain? 

Exposure to drugs and alcohol and brain injuries.


100

What are feelings that teenagers face because of brain development?

Anxiety, anger, and sadness

100

As a teen, what changes because of hormonal changes? 

Sleep patterns

200

What do nerve cells develop to help communicate?

Myelin 

200

Why is risk taking important?

It pushes us to have new experiences and challenge ourselves. 

200

What are examples of negative behavoirs adolescents do when they are teens? 

  • act on impulse
  • misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions
  • get into accidents of all kinds
  • get involved in fights
  • engage in dangerous or risky behavior
200

How does social media effect teens?

Discussion question!!

Social media can amplify these feelings which can result in a teenager feeling very anxious, stressed or depressed.

200

What is most important for your brain? 

Sleep 


300

What two parts of the brain coordinate the actions of a teenager?

Amygdala and Logical frontal cortex

300

Why is risk taking during teen years bad?

Risky behaviors peak during the teenage years and that these risks can often be associated with experimenting with alcohol and drugs.

300

What years are considered teenage years and when the brain develops the most?

around 11-18

300

How can you support teens with their emotions? 

Discussion question!!

  • Take a calm and soothing parental approach
  • Improve our knowledge about teenage brain development
  • Try not to react emotionally to teenage behaviours demonstrating extremes of emotions
  • Be aware of the importance of the influence of teenage friends have
  • Support teenagers to engage with friends, but continue to be available for them if/when things go  wrong
300

What is a normal amount of sleep a teen should get?

Discussion question!!

8 - 10hrs

400

What causes brain changes in normal development? 

Age, experience, and hormonal changes in puberty. 

400

Why do peers have an impact on teenage risk taking? 

Discussion question!!

During adolescence, being accepted by peers can be more important than being accepted by family, and this can have an impact on feelings of self-worth

400

Why is it easier to learn new knowledge and skills when you are a teenager? 

Lots of new connections are made between the cells in the brain and pruning removes unneeded connections.

400

How are teenage emotions driven?

Teenage emotions are driven by the development of an individual’s own identity.

400

What is key when talking about sleep and teens?

Making sure that teens keep away from screens before they sleep 

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