21 Before and After
Transcriber: nelson cassoma
Reviewer: Lucas Kaimaras
My today’s talk is called
Twenty One - Before and After.
You are probably wondering
why this number is 21.
This age -21 years (old)-
is associated
with the formation of the brain.
Why is the age of 21 so important?
The point is that the teen brain responds
differently to the drugs and alcohol
than the adult brain does.
I think every teen needs to know that.
Why is this information so important?
People who start drinking
at 11 years of age
are most prone,
are more likely to get addicted
than those who start drinking
after the age of 21.
For example,
according to Reuters and Lee,
“among youth who begin drinking
at 12 years of age,
7.2% of them had alcohol use disorder.
On the other hand, those who
start drinking after the age of 21
have the prevalence number equal to 3.7%.”
We can say that
people who begin drinking at early ages
are more likely to get addicted.
Why is this happening?
It has been suggested
in the research of Donald A. Steinberg,
that the part of the brain
responsible for emotions
develops faster than the part of brain
responsible for reasoning.
Here you can see
the image of the brain development
in teens and children, ages 5 to 20.
According to this image,
we can see that
the brain is still being formed
during the early adulthood.
The mature regions of the brain
are indicated in blue.
The prefrontal cortex -red circles-
is the last part of the brain to mature.
Due to the fact
that the brain is still being developed
between the ages 20 and 12,
adolescents are more prone to addiction.
The part of the brain responsible
for reasoning and decision making
becomes less active during this period.
And teens need to be taught more
about decision making skills.
Here are several of them:
First, teach youth about
how the brain is developing.
Second, promote a healthy lifestyle.
Also, Allison Bell in Teen Magazine
suggests that there are several ways
to deal with the negative pressure
from the outside.
The first is to ask questions.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
You can ask even 101 questions.
If your friend, for instance, smokes,
you can ask him why he/she smokes
and how long he/she smokes.
Second, say “No”.
The more confident you are
about your position,
the less people will bother you.
Fifth, feel free to state your position
over and over again.
You can also find a friend who shares
your point of view and your interests.
Look for a positive role model.
Have you ever noticed
that the most popular and successful
teenagers at your school
are those who are not afraid to say
what they like, and what they don’t.
Monitor your moods.
Remember that the moods
can affect your feelings.
Substance abuse
affects teen brain development,
firstly, by damaging
connections within the brain.
Secondly, by reducing the ability
to experience the pleasure,
causing or creating problems
connected to the memory and so on.
The capacity of a person to learn will
never be greater than during adolescence.
Now, pause.
Think about it for a second.
Think about it
in terms of your own education.
Think about it
in terms of your own future.
You might be more competitive
in a job market later on,
because your brains are learning
as much as they could.
Thank you.