It is a known fact that teens can be…well, forgetful. When you ask if they need something, they adamantly say no, but suddenly they remember they need to be somewhere in five minutes/they have an assignment due tomorrow morning/they need money for a school trip and it is due in an hour/they’re going to be out tomorrow. Sound familiar? Well, don’t worry – you’re not the only one noticing this!
As it turns out, this forgetfulness is not just because teens want to drive anyone (and everyone else?) nuts – there are a lot of changes going on in teenaged brains that may be causing this – and it can last into the University years. Mia MacMeekin and David Wilcox have teamed up to create an awesome infographic that takes a look at why teens forget so much, a bit of the science behind it, and some ideas on how adults can help. It’s a great little guide for bringing some order and organization into classroom filled with teenagers, but also a great reminder to adults that teens aren’t just trying to drive them up a wall
Why Are Teenagers So Forgetful?
The Science
- Changes occur in three areas of the brain during the teenage years – the cerebellum, the prefrontal cortex, and the limbic cortex
- These changes are referred to as ‘blossoming’ (age 11-14) and ‘pruning’ (age 14-25)
- The prefrontal cortex controls things like: alertness, attention, planning, working memory, and regulation of social behaviour
- The cerebellum controls things like: balance, motor coordination, recognition of social cues
- The limbic cortex controls things like: emotion, attention, memory, and emotions
So What Happens?
- The teenage years are often known as the ‘use it or lose it’ years due to this synaptic pruning
- The changes in the brain impact memory and attention
- This brain ‘reorganization’ is complex, and adds extra strain on the teenager’s brain
- Teen brains are losing about 30,000 connections per second
- A teenager’s brain needs to reconnect with information it once found easy to locate
- The circadian shift impacts sleep and information retention
What Can You Do?
- Love, forgive, encourage
- Experiment – what works for one teen may not work for another, so try a number of avenues
- Let them take healthy risks
- Help create systems and routines
- Create order
- Be actively involved
- Teens need at least 9.5 hours of sleep per night
- Acknowledge wins, build on losses, allow natural consequences
- Minimise ‘business’
- Let them be emotional
