Tuesday, August 21, 2007

The Terrifying Teen Brain

Hello, F.O.T.E.'s,
As if on cue, I received a homeschooling magazine yesterday, with the cover story entitled, "The Myth of the Teen Brain." It was a very interesting read, especially since we've just become parents of a "teen." :-) I'm hoping the link will work, if it doesn't, please copy and paste the URL into your browser and take a look at this article.

http://drrobertepstein.com/pdf/Epstein%20-%20THE%20MYTH%20OF%20THE%20TEEN%20BRAIN%20-%20Scientific%20American%20Mind%20-%204-8-07.pdf



You could also go to http://www.thecaseagainstadolescence.com and click on the link to "The Myth of the Teen Brain."
I thought especially interesting was the study of Inuits in Canada. It showed a link between teen behavior and television viewing.
Ok...gotta run...
Y'all keep your wool dry,
The Ewe

3 comments:

Lisa-Anne said...

Good article, but I wish he'd also addressed the issue of chemical changes that occur with puberty and beyond that contribute to things like impulsiveness, etc., in the brains of growing children/teens. :) I totally agree that teens don't have to be monsters! (I wasn't, although I didn't manage to escape entirely from high-risk behaviors a time or two!) It comes down to the fact that teens still need training and supervision to make good choices, especially as they grow in the confidence that "know everything", lol! :)
I think it's a good idea to treat them more like young adults than out-of-control children, but then I remember my teen years and I'll be on the lookout for "teen brain-fog" behaviors too! Will have to pray for the right balance, ya know? Thanks for sharing the link!
Love ewe!
LA

Amy Hall said...

Wow! Someone read that! LOL It is a looong article for a blog. Anyway, yeah...the fellow has some weird ideas when you read more of his stuff...but, I do like the premise that teens can be responsible folks. :-) Our church is full of them.
Interesting stuff...
Love EWE back!

~Sherral~ said...

I think that along with the change in behavior associated with television watching, there is a change along with internet use and video game playing. Sorry...no study needed. If I don't keep control on time spent in these "activities" I can see brain drain in action! LOL

~Sherral~

ps...no I didn't read the whole article. I printed it and will...someday!