UNDERSTANDING THE TEEN BRAIN

THE SCIENCE OF THE TEEN BRAIN Full formation isn’t

The teen brain’s frontal lobes, used for decision making and problem solving,
complete until the

MID-20s
are not yet fully insulated so signals move slowly to the rest of the brain.
This lack of full insulation leads to impulsive decisions.

DETERMINE THE DANGERS: KNOW THE RISK BEHAVIOR

Because their brains are still maturing, teenagers are more prone to addiction
than adults. Kids who drink alcohol before the age of 15 are five times more likely
to develop alcoholism or dependence than those who begin drinking after the
age of 21.

BEWARE OF DRIVING DISTRACTIONS SET LIMITS!

68%
Teens are four times more likely to crash their cars than adults. According to AAA, Kids average more than
distraction is a factor in more than half of teen car crashes. 10 hours of media time every
day! That’s about 68% of the
time they’re awake.
Interacting with One or More Passengers 15%
Cell Phone Use 12%
Looking at Something Inside the Vehicle 10%
GET SOME REST!
Looking at Something Outside the Vehicle 9%
9.25
Sleep is essential for learning.
Singing/ Moving to Music 8% Teens should get at least
8-10 hours of sleep. 9.25
Grooming 6%
ADULTS

hours is recommended.
TEENS

Reaching for Object 6%

SOLICIT SUPPORT: THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP

Most high school students are sleep deprived. Stay off the cell phone at night.
Artificial light is a stimulus and decreases the chemicals that bring on sleep.

90% 90% of Americans use some type of electronic

SIX D+
device before bedtime. Monitor this activity!
Teens who get less than

x
x
68% 68% of 15-to-17-year-olds said they keep an
electronic device on throughout the night. x
x

20% HOURS
ZZZ x
of sleep are more likely to
x
ZZZ perform poorly on tests.

fall asleep in class

PROMOTE THE POSSIBILITIES RECOGNIZE THEIR POTENTIAL

Teens have better memory! Incidental memory peaks at age 12 and then Since a teen’s brain is still changing, there’s high potential for increasing IQ.
continues to decline through adulthood.

20pts
IQ scores can rise or fall

USE IT OR LOSE IT! Once you understand the mysteries of your teen’s brain, you can protect them
As teens learn and experience new things, they will continue to make new from bad behaviors and help them benefit from their amazing potential to learn
brain connections. and mature!

Sources: NPR; Johns Hopkins University; Stopteendui.com (Administrative Office of the Courts); AAA; Webroot; Better: Evidence-based Education; Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences of the USA; Washington Post; Linda Burgess Chamberlain, PhD/MPH; Scientific American Mind; American Association for the Advancement of Science POWERED BY K12