Why Adolescence Matters
In mid September the limited series Adolescence won an unprecedented eight Emmy Awards (if you have not yet seen it, I would highly recommend it). The series is only four episodes long and it is unique in that it is a story about a criminal act that does not ask the question “who did the crime?”, but instead “why was the crime done?”. Culturally, this series is profoundly impactful to our current culture because it is a view into the world of incel (involuntary celibate) culture and the influence that it has on adolescent youth. Through this window we are able to view the devastating results of this rhetoric not only on the minds but eventually on the actions of one young man and the ripple effect it creates in his family, in his school, and in his community. More than an entertaining series, this story is a visceral reminder of the world we are in and warning to protect the minds of impressionable youth during such a critical time in their development.
The Impressionable Adolescent Brain: A Scientific Lens
Adolescence is considered by many to be the time period of development in which a person is approximately 12 - 19 years old. “Adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods to establish health behaviour” (Gwon, Jeong). During this time the brain is experiencing a major neurological restructuring and rewiring as the prefrontal cortex is in development. The prefrontal cortex is connected to the control of thought, memory, and behavior and most researchers and scientists agree that it is not fully developed until a person is 25 years old. Because this part of the brain is still in development, influences to adolescents during this time are often engrained into the psychological makeup of the person to and through adulthood. The prefrontal cortex is in charge of judgement, impulse control, and long-term planning and we see this shortsightedness in adolescents and support them through team building activities or sports teams where their actions don’t just affect themselves but they are required to support and effectively positively impact people around them. Adolescents who have the ability to master forward thinking are often considered to be mature for their ages.
Another aspect of the impressionable adolescent mind is the dominance of the limbic system in accordance with “some differences in motivated behavior generally, as well as risk taking and addiction vulnerability in particular” (Sturman, Moghaddam). This is evidenced by the willingness that adolescents, in general, have to take risks, explore, and sometimes even bend or break the rules. It is important for educators and families to remember that this is developmentally appropriate and to show adolescents safe ways to explore and express themselves during this stage of development.
One final important aspect to make note of that is occurring during this developmental stage is that the adolescent brain is the ongoing myelination (growing of neural pathways) and synaptic pruning (cutting of neural pathways that are unused). This process is used to ensure that information is processed in an effective way and that neural connections throughout the brain are strengthened. The impact of this is that the adolescent brain is highly sensitive to outside influences and more likely to go along with the flow even if the flow is moving in the wrong direction. At this age, it is not uncommon for a parent/ caretaker to ask their child, “if everyone is jumping off the bridge, would you jump too?” The obvious answer is "no," but due to the way that influence occurs at this time in the developing adolescent brain, young people may be more likely to justify the actions and actually jump, as outrageous as that may seem for those of us with age, maturity, and fully developed brains.
Laurence Steinberg is an American professor of psychology and a developmental psychologist who specializes in understanding and speaking about adolescent psychological development. He says, “if you’re interested in how people get to be the way they are, adolescence is such an important time. We really become the person we’re going to be for probably the rest of our lives” (Steinberg, 2022). His work and research has been cited in the Supreme Court’s decision against the death penalty for adolescence due to the evidence that he has presented about the adolescent developing brain and the impact it has on behaviors, mindsets, and ultimately who they become as adults and the rest of their lives. In Adolescence we see evidence of this embodied in the behaviors, and mood swings that Jamie Miller, the main character presents.
The Digital Mirror: Social Media and Identity Formation
Jamie experiences a range of raw and seemingly unprovoked emotions throughout the four part series. From deep sadness, to uncontrolled rage - we see how small triggers ignite extremes from his behaviors. Through the process of understanding why this crime was done we begin to understand the extremes that his adolescent mind is navigating. Beyond this, we also are able to connect with the influences that have impacted his mindset and directed his behaviors and ultimately caused an irreversible tragedy. Through the course of the series, it becomes clear that through social media algorithms, Jamie has been exposed to content that is rewarding outrage, encouraging comparison, and developing a tribal mindset that ultimately led to radicalization and emotional detachment.
Throughout his experiences, Jamie’s choices and mindsets seem so far from the home and family that he was born and raised in. All the stereotypes that one would offer up about a child who is likely to commit a violent crime, are antithetical to the life that Jamie lives with his family. His parents are married, together, and in love with each other; he seems to have friends at school and his teachers know who he is; he has an older sister and seems to have a positive relationship with her. However, Jamie comes home and spends hours alone in his room, with his computer and the world wide web. We discover the digital mirror, through the echo chambers that Jamie has found himself in, and as we follow his descent we, the observer, start to understand the depths of the darkness that he has surrounded himself with. It is in this darkness that Jamie ultimately shifts his mindsets and becomes capable of and even empowered to do the unthinkable.
The series, neuroscience, and social media all converge to remind us that impressionability is not weakness—it’s the essence of growth. But without guidance, that growth can bend toward destruction. On your journey as a person, in your career as an education professional, and in your connection with others, it is imperative that you examine the space of impressionability and how group think, echo chambers, and hive mind impact your choices. Know that the adolescent brain is way more impressionable than your adult, fully formed brain and support our youth in making safe choices that will serve them positively now and in the future.
References
Gwon SH, Jeong S. Concept analysis of impressionability among adolescents and young adults. Nurs Open. 2018 Jul 10;5(4):601-610. doi: 10.1002/nop2.170. PMID: 30338106; PMCID: PMC6177548.
Sturman DA, Moghaddam B. The neurobiology of adolescence: changes in brain architecture, functional dynamics, and behavioral tendencies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011 Aug;35(8):1704-12. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.04.003. Epub 2011 Apr 15. PMID: 21527288; PMCID: PMC3222328.
Steinberg, L. [Laurence Steinberg]. (2022, August 10). Researching risk: Understanding the adolescent brain[Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/A9MWpLIT3Mo