Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Today’s teenagers have been stereotyped as adventurous and harebrained individuals. They are generally fond of experimenting with things until they get in touch with drugs, sex, guns, alcohol among others. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures, 16,000 young adults die each year from unintentional injuries and accidents. The most common justification for teenagers’ care-free attitude is that their brains just aren’t developed enough to know better. However, recent research shows that in some cases the fact is just the opposite, the brain matures not too slowly but perhaps, too quickly.
According to a psychiatrist, an adolescent who engages in more dangerous activities have white-matter pathways that seem to be more mature than those of risk-averse youths. White-matter is the brain’s wiring, the neutral pathways that connect the various gray-matter regions of the cerebrum that are independent of one another. Having a mature white-matter is necessary because it allows faster brain processing speed. Nerve impulses also travel faster in mature white-matter. Experiments also reveal that the more mature the look of the brain, the more adventurous the teenager tended to be.
Another possible explanation is that some teenagers whose brains develop more rapidly than others become uncomfortable and a little confused owing to the gap between their biological capabilities and the social norms they must follow as kids. Precocious development of these neural tracts may make some adolescents more susceptible to engage in behaviors that society considers too adult in nature for their chronological age. It is also a common notion that teens make dumb decisions because their brains are immature. In other words, having a more mature brain may actually motivate some teens to try out new and potentially harmful experiences.
For now, these theories are mere speculation, and the researchers concede that the interaction of white and gray matter is so complex that hard conclusions remain elusive. The results of the study are relatively bare and by no means conclusive. The human brain is so intricate in nature, and one has to consider the fact that there are other factors that come into play such as the environment and certain genetic predispositions that are equally complex to study.
Tags: adolescent, alcohol, brain development, drugs, guns, parenting, risk, sex, teen death, teenagers
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Monday, December 10th, 2007
Of course, everybody wants their kids to be the next big thing. While the primary concern for parents is for their kids to grow up as law abiding productive citizens, it wouldn’t be so as bad if they exceed expectations and become leaders of the pack, just like what Spring Creek Lodge Academy believes in.
Spring Creek Lodge Academy (SCLA) is a year round boarding school designed to provide the following: highly structured and scheduled environment for troubled teens, help families and their child/children become a functioning family again and academic excellence. Trouble teens are adolescents who have unfortunately strewn away from acceptable family and social values by being deviance.
So where does the success of the program lies? Spring Creek Lodge Academy pride itself in their unique peer-to-peer interaction. All students are encouraged to motivate, relate and build on each other. They are taught to take responsibility in assisting their colleagues. Whether they are having a difficult day, in the middle of a dilemma or planning future goals, they can take charge of coaching their fellow students.
SCLA’s primal goal is to help your teen develop their full potential in different aspects: academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. If you are a parent who believes that such practice will lead to better preparation as an adult, then Spring Creek Lodge is a good place for you and child to begin your journey with.
Click here for their blog and here for the official website.
Tags: Leaders of the pack, SCLA, Spring Creek Lodge Academy
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