From impulse purchases, breakups, and poor fashion choices,… Generation Z He attributes his behavior to his brain not being fully developed. Specifically, prefrontal lobes have become a trend again on social media lately.
On TikTok, the label #frontal lobe It has had tens of millions of views and the latest trend is seeing people using lack of frontal lobe development as a reason for their teenage relationships. They were doomed from the start.
The theory is that the prefrontal cortex, or frontal lobe, which is responsible for reasoning and rational thinking, It is not fully developed until the age of 25 yearsSo any hasty decisions made before this age can be easily explained away.
But science does not agree with this. The doctor Lucy Vansexplains the neuroscientist and psychology expert at King’s College London Daily Mail: “No area of the brain works in isolation or is responsible for one thing. The frontal lobe, like any other area, works in conjunction with networks of other areas distributed throughout the brain.”
“In this way, the frontal lobe is involved in a series of higher cognitive functions, such as: decision makingproblem solving, planning and regulating behaviour, inhibiting impulses, but also regulating emotions and initiating motor actions,” Vannes continues.
However, as with many social media trends, there is some substance to it. Teacher Sophie ScottSo says a cognitive neuroscientist at University College London mail: “During adolescence and 20, one of the big changes that occurs in the brain is its composition.”
This process is called myelination, when a protective layer forms around nerve endings, improving communication between different areas of the brain. This stage begins in the womb But it continues into early adulthood.
“This process does not occur uniformly and the anterior part of the frontal lobe is the final area in it You become completely disposed“This happens around the age of 20, which is why people associate rational decision-making with this period,” Professor Scott says.
“However, this does not mean that after the age of 24, all the decisions we make Be completely rational“We always keep the emotional element in the decision-making process,” he adds.
Dr Vanness adds: ‘There is some truth to the suggestion that differences between adolescent and adult behavior are partly related As the frontal lobe continues to mature“.
“For example, adolescents show greater risk-taking than adults, and some aspects of frontal lobe development are associated with a reduction in this risk-taking behavior. Risk taking with age“He continues.
“However, many other factors also play a role in behavioral changes: different exposures and experiences, stressors or social factors that vary in adulthood, They all shape behavior“Vannis says.
So frontal lobe development is just one piece of the puzzle. It may also be worth noting that teenage behaviors may be quite appropriate in adolescence: Risk element In fact, it may be more adaptive in adolescence than in adulthood.
Experts believe that there is a strict limit to brain growth after the age of 25, and that this is the same for everyone. “Different frontal lobes mature at different times, and the whole process occurs gradually. It’s not something that ends suddenly. “Similarly, even the mature brain continues to develop and change throughout life,” concludes Dr. Vanes.