Why Are Teens More Likely to Take Risks?
By: Corinne Cunillera, '18
(CHAOS 2017 EDITION)
(CHAOS 2017 EDITION)
Teenagers are notoriously rebellious, often seeking out thrills that may be dangerous, or acting nonchalantly toward their own safety. Sometimes, teenagers act on such impulse that it may prompt many worried and frustrated parents to ask, “Do teenagers even have brains?” The answer is yes, of course teenagers have brains, they are just wired differently than that of a fully developed adult. Neuroscientists have proved that the teenage brain, teenage being 13 to 17 years of age, are structurally less developed than adult brains. Research from the National Institutes of Health has shown that the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain associated with inhibition of risky behavior, doesn't get fully developed until age 25. This means that while teenagers have the same ability to recognize risk as adults, they are simply more drawn to risky-behavior because they lack the brain development that helps them decide to not partake in it. In addition to a not fully-developed prefrontal cortex, the brain experiences many changing hormones throughout the teenage years, making teenagers more susceptible to heightened emotions, like the feeling of being invincible. For this reason, “teenagers have the double the risk of dying compared to their preteen selves,” according to Agnieszka Tymula, a postdoctoral student at New York University.
Teenagers are attracted to risky behavior all on their own, but what makes them so much more likely to take risks when they are around friends? Research shows that teens are more sensitive to rewards than adults are, and when teenagers believe that they will reap some kind of reward for performing a risky stunt, they are more likely to do it. Laurence Steinberg, author and professor of psychology at Temple University has found that when teenagers are surrounded by their peers, the reward system in the brain is triggered, explaining why teens often give into peer pressure. The teenage brain perceives this risky behavior as a chance to receive a reward, that reward often times being acceptance or praise from peers. In short, a teenage brain’s desire for reward outweighs a person’s “better judgment.” Additionally, there is an evolutionary explanation for why teens are more likely to take risks. In most mammals, once adolescence is reached, individuals leave the family and go off into the wilderness on their own. It is innate sensation-seeking that leads pubescent creatures to go find sexual partners and a social structure outside the home environment, and humans are no exception. So the next time you, a teenager, or a teenager that you care about does something risky, remind them to be safe, but also be forgiving: they can’t really help it.
Teenagers are attracted to risky behavior all on their own, but what makes them so much more likely to take risks when they are around friends? Research shows that teens are more sensitive to rewards than adults are, and when teenagers believe that they will reap some kind of reward for performing a risky stunt, they are more likely to do it. Laurence Steinberg, author and professor of psychology at Temple University has found that when teenagers are surrounded by their peers, the reward system in the brain is triggered, explaining why teens often give into peer pressure. The teenage brain perceives this risky behavior as a chance to receive a reward, that reward often times being acceptance or praise from peers. In short, a teenage brain’s desire for reward outweighs a person’s “better judgment.” Additionally, there is an evolutionary explanation for why teens are more likely to take risks. In most mammals, once adolescence is reached, individuals leave the family and go off into the wilderness on their own. It is innate sensation-seeking that leads pubescent creatures to go find sexual partners and a social structure outside the home environment, and humans are no exception. So the next time you, a teenager, or a teenager that you care about does something risky, remind them to be safe, but also be forgiving: they can’t really help it.
Work Cited:
NIDA (2015). Adolescent Brain. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/adolescent-brain
Steinberg, L. (2007, April). Risk Taking in Adolescence New Perspectives From Brain and Behavioral Science. , 16(2), 55-59. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from Sage journals.
Szalavitz, M. (2012, October 2). Why the Teen Brain Is Drawn to Risk. In Time. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/02/why-the-teen-brain-is-drawn-to-risk/
NIDA (2015). Adolescent Brain. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/adolescent-brain
Steinberg, L. (2007, April). Risk Taking in Adolescence New Perspectives From Brain and Behavioral Science. , 16(2), 55-59. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from Sage journals.
Szalavitz, M. (2012, October 2). Why the Teen Brain Is Drawn to Risk. In Time. Retrieved November 27, 2016, from http://healthland.time.com/2012/10/02/why-the-teen-brain-is-drawn-to-risk/