The changes that society needs, such as preventing adolescent pregnancies, will not happen until researchers can use their findings to influence policy change.
Yalda T. Uhls, University of California, Los Angeles
Understanding others’ emotions is a crucial social skill. Counter to concerns about screen time stunting kids’ development, one study suggests they’re getting better at recognizing emotion on screen.
Experts recommend adopted children be told about their origins, no matter how difficult the circumstances, but doing so is tricky for adoptive parents.
Together the social and emotional ‘jobs’ of adolescence – developing intimate friendships and achieving autonomy – make teens uniquely resistant to calls for social distancing.
Teens get a bad rap as selfish, dangerous risk-takers. But neuroscience and psychology research is revising that image: Adolescents are primed to help those around them, with positive benefits for all.
Navigating friendships as a teen can be hard. Parents can help by modelling good behaviour and making sure their teen feels they can talk to them about their friendships.
Almost a third of American adolescents have anxiety disorders. Researchers in developmental neuroscience are figuring out that how the brain matures over time may be part of the reason why.