Alonzo, Jaime Vicente C.

PSYDEVE A53

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore’s 2012 TED Talk focuses on the profoundly mysterious and

unique period of brain development during adolescence. With witty banter and a substantive dive

into methods and studies that paved the way for understanding the adolescent brain.

The talk centers on how technology's impact has changed how we study the changes in

structure and function in the brain throughout development. The impact mentioned above

highlights how scientists were able to learn more about the processes involved in adolescent

brain development—biological, physical, and hormonal. One of the key findings was the rapid

development of the prefrontal cortex, involved in higher-order thinking and decision making, in

adolescence. This finding was linked to the peaking of grey matter in adolescents, showing that a

significant portion of development occurs during this period—coinciding with the selective

pruning of unwanted nerve connections that solidifies brain function moving forward.

Another key finding of Blakemore’s research was the adaptations of adolescent brains in

the social brain or how they can communicate and comprehend social cues or emotions. Her

research found that adolescents have more remarkable medial prefrontal cortex development

congruent to more significant social brain activity. Other findings suggest that adolescents are

well-equipped to consider others’ perspectives when doing tasks and that rules formed at this

time retain well into adulthood.

One of the more profound statements I picked up from her talk was the realization that

risk-taking behaviors are not as unexplainable in adolescents. In our discussions on such

behaviors, we know that risk-taking behaviors are partly a result of wanting independence and

making decisions on one’s own. However, Blakemore highlights that such behaviors result from
the difference in developmental speeds between the limbic and frontal cortices. The limbic

system is hyperactive in rewarding risky behaviors during adolescence which is difficult to

mitigate due to the slow development of the frontal cortex during this period.

Exploring the mind through the eyes of experts makes it feel like rediscovering ourselves

during the period of adolescence—learning about how we act is not random or just a

consequence of being a teen. Sometimes, looking into the brain can solve more questions and

provide answers. This opportunity must not be stigmatized and must instead, in the words of

Blakemore, be a tool to use in education and social development.

References

Blakemore, S.-J., & TED. (2012). The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain. In YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zVS8HIPUng