There seems to be a current trend for blaming everything on neurology. I've seen a million and one newspaper articles, parenting books, etc. explaining how young people rebel because their brains are changing, how they are reckless and have no concept of the consequences of their actions because their prefrontal cortex is not developed, etc. I'm convinced there is more to it than simply neurology. I'm 17, and so far I haven't felt the need to go through a rebellious phase, because I never felt I had anything to rebel against. The ones who go berserk, destroy things, take narcotics, puke on pavements, are usually not doing that because they're inherently reckless due to their immature brain. They're doing it because they live in an environment where there are a million and one rules and boundaries that are there for no good reason, and the result is that as soon as they get a little bit of freedom they go off the rails.
That and a lot of these 'neurological facts' don't translate to reality. If teenagers have no concept of consequences, why are my friends in fourth year voluntarily studying when they don't have to, so that they won't find it hard to cope in fifth year? If what other young people thought affected us so much, metal heads under 20 wouldn't exist...
That and a lot of these 'neurological facts' don't translate to reality. If teenagers have no concept of consequences, why are my friends in fourth year voluntarily studying when they don't have to, so that they won't find it hard to cope in fifth year? If what other young people thought affected us so much, metal heads under 20 wouldn't exist...
