{"id":970,"date":"2014-12-03T03:44:16","date_gmt":"2014-12-03T03:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youthfacts.org\/?page_id=970"},"modified":"2015-08-17T02:49:55","modified_gmt":"2015-08-17T02:49:55","slug":"the-teen-brain-craze-new-science-or-ancient-politics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.youthfacts.org\/?page_id=970","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cTeen Brain\u201d Craze: New Science or Ancient Politics?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The \u201cteen brain\u201d craze: New science or old politics?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

July 5, 2007<\/h4>\n

\u201cStupid,\u201d \u201ccrazy,\u201d \u201creckless,\u201d \u201cimmature,\u201d \u201cirrational,\u201d \u201ctroubling,\u201d \u201cexasperating,\u201d \u201cmindlessly hormonal,\u201d and even \u201calien\u201d have been among the epithets hurled at teens by major news media reporters<\/a> and commentators touting \u201cnew scientific discoveries\u201d that supposedly prove grownup brains are mature and teenagers brainless.<\/p>\n

What accounts for this avalanche of vituperation against youth that would be unacceptable to direct at any other group? America\u2019s news media have erupted with identical, rigidly one-sided features (for examples of herd journalism mooing at its worst, see Boston Globe<\/i>, 11\/10\/05; Rocky Mountain News<\/i>, 10\/20\/05; The New York Times,<\/i> 1\/08\/06; Copely News Service, 12\/19\/05; Washington Post<\/i>, 11\/15\/05; Public Broadcasting System, 1\/31\/02; Newsweek<\/i>, 2\/28\/00) touting a handful of irresponsible scientists led by Jay Giedd of the National Institutes of Mental Health, Laurence Steinberg of Temple University, and Deborah Yurgelun-Todd of Harvard University Medical School, who have made names for themselves with sweeping claims that \u201cscience\u201d has \u201cfound\u201d why \u201cteenagers act the way they do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of researchers publicizing the \u201cadolescent brainlessness\u201d argument have openly advocated stripping not just adolescent, but young adult rights.<\/p>\n

Yurgelun-Todd<\/a> argues that both juvenile and adult teens should be banned from holding licenses or exercising any adult responsibilities. Giedd<\/a> and Steinberg have suggested that persons under age 25 should not be allowed to vote, drive, or exercise other adult rights. Because the \u201cbrainless teen\u201d notion flatter the agendas of numerous interest groups and facilitates self-satisfied media sensationalism, it has been accepted as fact even though responsible scientists caution against such rash assumptions.<\/p>\n

News articles employ sweeping generalizations sympathizing with the suffering parents of teens as if (a) addicted and alcoholic parents, (b) mentally troubled parents, (c) family violence, (d) divorce, and (e) the last 30 years, never happened. It is highly suspicious that at a time when middle-agers display skyrocketing crises such as drug abuse and criminal arrest, \u201cscience\u201d suddenly \u201cdiscovers\u201d that any conflict between adults and youths can be dismissed as the fault of faulty teenage brains.<\/p>\n

But there are compelling reasons than the intemperate name-calling reporters and authorities hurl at teens, their crude stereotypes of adolescents, and the self-pitying nature of Baby-Boom parents quoted in such news reports (these are examples of mature adult cerebral cortexes at work?) that should cast doubt on the latest \u201cteen brain\u201d furor. The science behind it is based on antiquated politics and selective citations, not objective rigor. Nor do claims that teenage brains are some awful mistake of nature hold up either in practical research or the real world. If biodeterminist notions about adolescents are valid, they should apply to all teens\u2014yet, middle-class and more affluent American adolescents and European youth display very low rates of risky behaviors of the types commentators stereotype as characteristic of teenagers.<\/p>\n

1. Adolescents, immature brains and all, are doing far better today than the supposedly cerebrally-developed midlifers complaining about them.<\/b> Americans don\u2019t seem to realize how profoundly the behavior of middle-aged adults has deteriorated (even amid rising wealth) as adolescent behavior generally has improved (even amid rising poverty) (Table 1).<\/p>\n

Table 1. Changes in teen and parent generations, 1970-2004\/05*<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Behavior and Condition<\/span><\/div>\n<\/th>\n
\n
Teen age 10-19<\/span><\/div>\n<\/th>\n
\n
Adult age 35-54<\/span><\/div>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Drug overdose deaths<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 8%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 279%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Suicidal deaths<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
DOWN 12%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 29%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Serious crime<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
DOWN 29%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 106%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Imprisonment*<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
DOWN 58%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 467%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Income<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
DOWN 15%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 15%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Poverty<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
UP 21%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
WN 15%<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

*Latest death figures are for 2004; crime and imprisonment figures are for 2005. Imprisonment figures are for California since national figures for juvenile teens are not available. Poverty and income is from decennial Census reports. Sources: National Center for Health Statistics<\/a> (deaths),1970-2004; Census Bureau,<\/a> (poverty, income), 1969, 1999; FBI,<\/a> 1970-2005; California Criminal Justice Statistics Center<\/a> and Department of Corrections<\/a>, 1970-2005.<\/p>\n

Statistics for the most recent year available (2004 or 2005) show ballooning crises among adults of the age most likely to be parents of teens (around 35 to 54) more serious than anything going on among teens:<\/p>\n