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What Are They Thinking?!: The Straight Facts about the Risk-Taking, Social-Networking, Still-Developing Teen Brain
Adolescence has long been characterized as the “storm and stress” years, and with recent developments in digital communication, it seems today’s teens are in for a more complicated journey than ever before. Even the most sympathetic, “in-touch” parents might throw their hands up in frustration at their teen’s unpredictable and risky behavior and ask: what are they thinking?!
It turns out that teens’ thrill-seeking activities and quests for independence aren’t just the result of raging hormones, but rather typical effects of the unique structure and development of the adolescent brain. In easily navigable chapters full of practical anecdotes and examples, acclaimed scientists Aaron White and Scott Swartzwelder draw from the most recent studies on the teen brain to illuminate the complexities of issues such as school, driving, social networking, video games, and mental health in kids whose crucial brain connections are just coming online.
It turns out that teens’ thrill-seeking activities and quests for independence aren’t just the result of raging hormones, but rather typical effects of the unique structure and development of the adolescent brain. In easily navigable chapters full of practical anecdotes and examples, acclaimed scientists Aaron White and Scott Swartzwelder draw from the most recent studies on the teen brain to illuminate the complexities of issues such as school, driving, social networking, video games, and mental health in kids whose crucial brain connections are just coming online.
- GenresNonfiction
286 pages, Paperback
First published March 4, 2013
15 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 21, 2021
I’ve been looking for a replacement for Jensen’s book The Teenage Brain, to use with my 9th grade health class, but this isn’t it- perhaps dome chapters can be supplemented by excerpts from this one. No surprises on the info contained in this volume.
December 10, 2019
Common sense information
October 9, 2013
Any parent that is looking to understand why their children or teens act the way they do will want to read this book. Written in a very easy to grasp manner, parents will come away knowing exactly what the current research says about why kids and teens act the way they do. Although some research in this book is inaccurate (mostly about video games and TV) the rest of the book is just so much fun to read.
There will be many times in a parent's life when they just don't understand why their son or daughter is acting the way they do and will get frustrated when they can't get through to them. The author does a great job of providing common situations that parents have mentioned before and answers a few of them in the book. If your child is is showing signs that he or she might be taking drugs, then you will know what to look for but also how to approach the situation.
The way this book is structured really lays a solid foundation for how parents should understand their child, and even themselves. The first chapters are about the biology and development of what goes on in the brain from youth to teen. Different parts of the brain are most active in different age groups because they are growing, so it would imply that there would be more involvement coming from that region. This is why memories are very strong during high school and early parts of college because the frontal lobe is growing rapidly during these years and is most active and doesn't fully mature until around 21 for women and 25 for men. A period when legal contracts should be recognized and not when the reasoning part of the brain is still developing and prone to mistakes.
What also makes this book fun to read is that it takes out the jargon and treats it like an everyday conversation. The material is very easy to digest and comprehend, which makes it easier for parents to pick up and read. Most heavy parenting books like to make them thick with jargon which does not help the mother who is just trying to figure out why her son misbehaves at school so often. When you take out the trouble and make a book that everyone can enjoy then you just make it easier on that mom and this is what the book as done.
There will be many times in a parent's life when they just don't understand why their son or daughter is acting the way they do and will get frustrated when they can't get through to them. The author does a great job of providing common situations that parents have mentioned before and answers a few of them in the book. If your child is is showing signs that he or she might be taking drugs, then you will know what to look for but also how to approach the situation.
The way this book is structured really lays a solid foundation for how parents should understand their child, and even themselves. The first chapters are about the biology and development of what goes on in the brain from youth to teen. Different parts of the brain are most active in different age groups because they are growing, so it would imply that there would be more involvement coming from that region. This is why memories are very strong during high school and early parts of college because the frontal lobe is growing rapidly during these years and is most active and doesn't fully mature until around 21 for women and 25 for men. A period when legal contracts should be recognized and not when the reasoning part of the brain is still developing and prone to mistakes.
What also makes this book fun to read is that it takes out the jargon and treats it like an everyday conversation. The material is very easy to digest and comprehend, which makes it easier for parents to pick up and read. Most heavy parenting books like to make them thick with jargon which does not help the mother who is just trying to figure out why her son misbehaves at school so often. When you take out the trouble and make a book that everyone can enjoy then you just make it easier on that mom and this is what the book as done.
December 7, 2013
I don't know...this seemed pretty straightforward to me. It wasn't anything shocking or revelatory and it seemed like I'd heard it all before. I suppose if you've been clueless about scientific studies about teenagers recently it would be a good read. Perhaps it's also comforting for parents. Since I spend all day every day with teens, I'm not too surprised by this.
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June 4, 2013A great primer on the teen brain. Easy for the non-scientist to understand.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews