Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-Prone And Should Protect Their Brains
![Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-Prone And Should Protect Their Brains](/media/zoo/images/876bf0d06d19e26d37c3ab00d016af7b_d2da7ceb5f4ef04804c13955039b56c2.jpg)
Teens can’t control impulses and make rapid, smart decisions like adults can — but why?
Research into how the human brain develops helps explain. In a teenager, the frontal lobe of the brain, which controls decision-making, is built but not fully insulated — so signals move slowly.
“Teenagers are not as readily able to access their frontal lobe to say, ‘Oh, I better not do this,’ ” Dr. Frances Jensen tells Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross.
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