TEENAGE BRAINS

I was listening to a really interesting radio programme a few days ago on “The Teenage Brain” and frankly wondering if that was a bit like listening to a programme on “The Loch Ness Monster”. Both just as elusive/non existent I suspect.

It was Professor Jane Blakemore who was being interviewed about her research and findings on adolescent brain development (if you can call it development).

I’m being unfair. They do have brains of course they do. Not all of them choose to use them effectively. They develop at different stages and I have to keep reminding myself of that before these young brains get the better of me. You can’t really argue with a teenage brain. It’s sort of shut to the white noise that we parents bombard them with. So even this morning when I was listing what my son needed for school and plans for after school etc boring etc, he just looked at me at the end of quite a long list and said “what?” with the sneeriest look that only teenagers can perfect and I realised that really none of what I’d said had gone in. It’s very exhausting.

It’s just that I have had SEVENTEEN YEARS AND COUNTING of living with the teenage brain. ON MY OWN. CONTINUOUSLY. Is it not surprising that I am a little world weary. To be honest, I could have told you that their brains are different from ours. It might have saved millions in research funding. I could also have told you that they take unnecessary risks (I’ve been to hospitals in the middle of the night and had conversations with policemen – twice from abroad).

One of her key findings seemed to be that teenagers take unnecessary risks only when they’re with their peer group – not when they’re alone. Well, again, I know that probably there are interesting evolutionary theories about this, but why on earth would any teenager (mostly but not always boys), jump off a bridge, or walk along a wall, or drink too much IF they weren’t showing off to their friends? Especially at the age and stage where girls are involved and they are highly sensitive to them? Isn’t it all, ultimately about reproduction, finding a mate and being the biggest silver back in the pack? If you’re a boy. If you’re a girl, you want to know that they will take risks for you – not stupid ones, but not be fearful at least.

We all know teenagers have a heightened sense of social self – aka bloody egocentric and that the world consists only of clothes, food, friends, fun on the one side and really annoying parents and teachers on the other side who set out to ruin your enviable life and who don’t by the way, know anything about anything.

Jane Blakemore has now moved into the field of schizophrenia and other developmental disorders and her work sounds really interesting. My daughter is doing Psychology so I texted her “listen to Radio 4 – really interesting Psychology interview”.

Later in the day I heard that it was going to be on again that evening. So I texted my daughter again. “If you missed it this am, it’s on again this evening”….

And what do I get back in return for my consideration?

“MUM, I”M OUT – I do have a life you know”.

Great.

In other words: I don’t.

“Everything in moderation” is like telling them you live on the moon. They don’t do moderation. Only extreme. I guess that’s part of the learning curve?