# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You've laid the groundwork. As young as elementary school you've likely asked your child, what do you want to be when you grow up? You may have had conversations about what your family values are, or your kid picked up these principles over the years. Now you have a young adult, who may be on a path to finding their purpose in life, or they may feel completely lost and unsure of what to do. Finding purpose can be a lifelong endeavor-something you may still be working through yourself! In The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life, William Damon, director of the Stanford Center on Adolescence, defines purpose as "a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at the same time meaningful to the self and consequential for the world beyond the self." Based on the Center's research, Heather Malin, director of research, says the key time for purpose is the 18 - 23 age range. Here's how you can play a supportive role in helping your kid find their purpose at this time.

"An emerging adult who takes the time to deeply reflect and raise their own self-awareness about their innermost desires can be guided by them if they have at least some clues from listening to who they are and what they value," education consultant Jennifer Miller says.

Simply asking "what is your purpose?" or "what is your passion?" may not be the best entry point for helping young adults find a meaningful path in life that is both fulfilling and sustainable. Jane Horrowitz, a career coach for young adults, says she has found that it's unrealistic to expect young people to know what their passion is. "They don't have enough experience yet to really figure it out," Horrowitz says. "The idea of finding their passion puts too much pressure on them." Instead, start a dialogue that gets your young adult thinking about why exactly they like what they like, what their strengths and values are, and how those fit in with possible careers and life goals. Questions about their contribution to the world help get them thinking about direction. "Jobs come and go but asking how you want to make a difference offers a trajectory," Miller says.

It doesn't matter what it is, but your kid has something (or many things) that they care about. At first glance, they may not see a connection between these interests and purpose. By pointing out interests like reading crime novels, hiking, sketching, or volunteering at an animal shelter, you can help spark some thoughts about how they may be able to translate those into a career they really care about. National Urban Alliance scholar Yvette Jackson suggests thinking about all the different areas related to one specific interest. "For instance, if the student is interested in comic book design, the related studies include graphic arts, literature, computer graphics, political science, psychology, logic, writing," Jackson says. "This leads to a discussion of professions and broadens a child's frame of reference of possibilities that they may not have considered as future study, college majors, or occupations."

Jennifer Tanner, developmental psychologist and co-founder of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood, emphasizes that there a million ways to make a living, but asks, so what? "The missing piece is purpose," Tanner says. "How are you going to contribute yourself - your gifts, your passions, your interests - to the world? We need every emerging adults' energies focused on what their contribution is going to be. It is absolutely critical for an emerging adults' sense of well-being. This feeds their intrinsic motivational needs for autonomy, belonging, and competence.

And it engages the young adult as a citizen who can become a capable contributor." Encourage them to think about their various experiences and how they may have made a difference. Then ask, how do you want to contribute to the world? Who do you care about impacting? "Kids who have the most purpose are the ones who lead with their values," Malin says.

Horrowitz says she shows the graph above to young adults she works with to help them visualize how their strengths, values, work, and impact on the world intersect as their purpose in life.

You may admire their optimism and hope, but want to give them a reality check by pointing out that actually making money is necessary to live and survive. In the national Clark University Poll of Emerging Adults, 79% of 18-29-year-olds agreed that "it is more important to enjoy my job than to make a lot of money." While you certainly want your kid to enjoy their job and find their purpose, the balance between joy and reality can be challenging to navigate.

Breaking down goals into both the short and long-term can help your young adult figure out how their actions are impacting their future aspirations. Plus, it's a great way to reflect on purpose. "[Purpose is] what matters to you and how that looks in your life right now, and what does that look like in the future," Malin says. It can be hard to think in the long term when you are unsure where to start. Perhaps, start by talking about your short and long-term goals at this time and how your career path took form. "Parents can share stories of their own discoveries of meaning and purpose," Miller says. Jackson suggests discussing how a job in one area may lead to their ultimate long-term goal or aspiration. Miller says young people should just get started at whatever level possible in their desired industry. "We know that a career emerges from relationships," Miller says. There are many ways for your young adult to get to their desired goal-all the different paths may surprise them!

Talk about expectations versus realities. Some young adults may find that they differ quite a bit. If they are graduating from college and can't seem to find a job, they may get quite a jolt of reality. Or, they may land their first job and feel discouraged that it is not something they really care about. Careers take time to build. Talk with them about the steps required to get to certain levels in any field. Tell them that they will have to do tasks and jobs that they may not want to do in order to gain experience and knowledge. Ask where purpose can come from in their life outside of the job they are currently doing. The key is self-reflection every step of the way and thinking about these steps as part of a bigger picture.

Sometimes, you may feel that your kid has never listened to anything you said. But they are picking up and reflecting on what you say more than you may think. Here are some questions you can ask to get your young adult reflecting on purpose:

I can see that X is really important to you. What do you like about it? What are you doing when you do X? How do you see these interests and skills intersecting with a career?

How do you want to contribute to the world? In what area do you want to make a difference? Who do you care about impacting?

Who does a really great job at what they do in something you're interested in? What do you think they did to get to that point and excel at it? How is what they do meaningful to them?

What is most important-making a lot of money, loving what you're doing, or having a lot of time to spend with your family?

How does where you come from impact where you want to go in the future? What experiences in your life led you to your decisions to pursue certain subjects or career interests?

What are your long-term and short-term career goals?

What kind of expectations do you have for getting a job? What is required in you getting there?

How quickly do you see yourself arriving at fulfilling job?

I'm noticing a lot of X in the news lately. How do you think this might affect your future hopes and goals?

What do you think I want for you and your future?

What do you think are the most important questions you should be asking yourself right now?

"We want young people to understand themselves better, build personal agency, learn how to build their voice, reflect and respond to feedback, and to have goals," Jackson says. Self-reflection is a huge part of any path they may take. Malin says purpose and identity are linked. "Purpose can be an expression of your identity. It's taking what is important to you and making a contribution to the world," Malin says. "Or finding out your purpose in the world [helps to] inform your path that makes a difference in your identity." Asking some of the above questions is a great way to help your young adult think about themselves in context of the broader world, and their role within it.

Relate what is happening in the real world back to purpose with your young adult. These connections can get them thinking about how they might apply what they are interested in to what is going on in the world. "What's happening in the world (water crisis, bees endangered, wars), and what is it that you're learning in school that might have any relationship to this issue we have that's really critical to the world?" Jackson says. "What about financially? How could this affect agriculture? Parents can have these conversations in terms of current issues."

Sometimes asking the right question leads you closer to the answer. If your kid is having a hard time figuring out what they want to do or how they can get there, encourage them to ask themselves the kind of questions they would like to be able to answer. Sometimes flipping your frame of reference can be a big help. This opens the door for self-reflecting questions like, "Why am I here? What am I doing with my life? Why am I unique?", which Miller says are essential for young adults to be thinking about at this time of life. Jackson says you could also frame this as having your young adult be the interviewer so they can find the right questions to ask. "If you were able to interview someone who excels in a job in the area in which you are passionate, what would you ask them? Or what would want to know?" Jackson says. "This reflection takes the question from the abstract to the actual."

Really listen to your young adult as they explore their purpose. "When you're pregnant and you have the kids in the womb, you start building expectations for them before they can even open their eyes," school counselor Dawn Mann says. "You forget to talk to the kids. You really need to listen to your kids. Your goals might not match." As they grow into adults, it is time to step back and try to be supportive, even when you don't completely love their choices. As a parent, you want your kid to be happy and successful, but how they get there may not match the ideas you have in your mind. Talk to your young adult about this and then really listen to what they have to say. You can't find their purpose for them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to help my young adult find their purpose

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You've laid the groundwork. As young as elementary school you've likely asked your child, what do you want to be when you grow up? You may have had conversations about what your family values are, or your kid picked up these principles over the years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When I was 14 years old, I boarded a plane for a weeklong backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains. I had already been to the Rockies a few times with my parents, but this time I was headed out to a "primitive skills week," run by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies. For a week, we were to live as close to the land as possible. We crafted our own bowls and knives, made fires with bow drills, caught fish with our own hands, and stalked elk for hours.

I remember coming over a mountain pass and looking down at what looked like hundreds of ants moving around in a beautiful open meadow. As we started coming down the hill I realized they were elk-hundreds of elk scattered across the meadow. My mind stopped; my heart opened. I was experiencing awe -a feeling of deep wonder and connection to something bigger than myself.

This trip changed my life. As I came home, I felt more connected to the natural world. I understood its majesty and power in a way I never had before. And I had a greater inclination to protect it and be a steward of the natural world. I also became aware of how much I had changed in only 10 days. I became interested-addicted, you could say-in taking in new experiences that would transform my outlook on the world and provide those experiences to others.

Since that trip I have been interested in the question: What experiences transform people? And in turn, what experiences help people, particularly young people, discover their purpose in life? This question has guided my career as an educator: I started a program for low-income youth to volunteer in developing countries, organized mindfulness retreats for teenagers, and this summer will be leading wilderness retreats for young men. All of these trips were done with the aim of helping young people find their purpose.

These experiences are of clear interest to parents as well: Every parent wants his or her child to have a sense of purpose. But how can we actually help them do that?

What is purpose? How can teens find it?

Let's start with what purpose means. According to Kendall Bronk, a leading researcher on youth development, purpose has four defining features: dedicated commitment, personal meaningfulness, goal-directedness, and a vision bigger than self. The development of purpose is intricately woven with the development of identity. Thus embarking on a voyage of discovering one's purpose is critical to during the adolescent years. Research shows that teens and young adults that seek purpose report higher life satisfaction and levels of happiness. New research even suggests that a feeling of purpose in young people is associated with better physical health.

The research on what specific experiences create a sense of purpose amongst youth is not that robust. However there are three critical components of an experience that make it a potentially "purpose-seeking" experience: an important life event, serving others in a meaningful way, and changes in life circumstance.

Over the past decade, I have interviewed peers, social change leaders, and others who had found their sense of purpose. These were people from all different types of nationalities, backgrounds, races, and socioeconomic upbringing. During my interviews, I wanted to know what experiences had transformed them? How had they discovered their purpose?

Everyone has their own story but there were a few experiences that were common amongst people who had discovered their purpose:

1. Traveling abroad

2. Spending extended time in the natural world

3. Getting involved in a meaningful social change project

4. Establishing a contemplative practice

Each of the four experiences listed above has components of at least two of the three purpose-seeking experience factors. Each of these experiences could be a significant life event. A trip abroad and service trip (often combined) focus on serving others in a meaningful way. A contemplative retreat and wilderness trip intentionally change life circumstances for youth, giving them the space to create an opportunity for finding their purpose.

One other critical point is the role of technology. All of these trips give young people a chance to take a break from their constant use of technology; this alone is a powerful force for young people to re-connect with themselves and seek connection with their peers.

Young people do not usually develop a specific purpose and then go become an expert in that thing. Rather, they are exposed to something new that helps them develop their own sense of purpose. In short, in most cases experiences lead to developing purpose, not the other way around. This is why summer experiences that introduce young people to new ways of seeing the world and themselves are so valuable. If young people are exposed from 15-19 years olds to events to seek purpose, they will increasingly seek them out on their own until the end of their adolescence, giving them a higher likelihood of discovering their own sense of purpose.

Finding yourself, making meaning

Adolescence is the time to explore one's inner and outer world. It is a time to seek new activities and experiences. As Dr. Dan Siegel says, teens seek novel experiences. This helps young people try something on for size, see if they like it, and then decide if they want to make it part of their life. Unfortunately so many young people today are not actually able to explore-teens are often either disillusioned from the banality of school or over achieving students are on the treadmill and cannot step off for fear of falling behind.

We have managed to create high school experiences that give students little time for self-reflection, meaning making, and diving deeply into what makes us come alive. I know so many friends and family members that felt like most of their high school was meaningless for them. As Bill Damon, the leading researcher on purpose and adolescence at Stanford, succinctly puts it, "The biggest problem growing up today is not actually stress, it's meaninglessness." Without a sense of meaning and purpose students will either fall away, disinterested in school or continue to achieve without a sense of agency or excitement.

Creating a sense of purpose in education starts with basic "why" questions: why are we taking this class? Why are we in school? Why am I learning algebra? These are straightforward and educators often try to answer them. But most school settings fail to address the even larger questions: Why was I put on this earth? What do I want to do with my life? Why am I having trouble figuring out my identity? A real education of adolescents must start with these "why" questions and then begin to help young people develop their own identity, sense of purpose, and understanding of the world and their place in it.

If your teen is going to a potentially transformative experience, as a parent or educator, it is important to ask the why question: Why is your teen motivated to do this? What do you hope to get out of it? Or why is your teen not motivated at all? These are powerful questions to help shape your young person's experience.

Of course there is no guarantee that if your teen goes on one of these trips, they will come back with a greater sense of purpose. Research shows that some teens that go on potentially transformative experiences change, others do not. There is an element of mystery in everyone's journey. It is good remember as a parent and educator: you cannot give your child or anyone else their own sense of purpose. But what you can do is give them the experiences to help discover their own sense of purpose. You never know how these experiences will shape them down the road.
So where do you turn if you wanted to send your teen on one of these experiences this summer? How can my teen attend one of these programs if I am from a middle or low-income background? Although these experiences started off mainly for privileged teens, many programs have made a huge push to make themselves accessible to teens of all backgrounds. Ask about scholarships and sliding scales.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When I was 14 years old, I boarded a plane for a weeklong backpacking trip in the Rocky Mountains. I had already been to the Rockies a few times with my parents, but this time I was headed out to a "primitive skills week," run by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teens live and breathe technology. There has never been a truer adage. Whether they're jamming on MP3 players, typing Snapchats, or playing video games, today's youth are the most connected of any age group in U.S. history.

But this is also true: depending on socioeconomic status and race, some young people utilize their smartphones and related technology in ways that may leave them further behind than their counterparts.

Yes, Black and Hispanic students own smartphones at about the same rate as Whites, but they often lack critical broadband access at home. This forces them to use their phone for crucial Internet needs, such as making health inquiries, looking up job information and even applying for jobs, according to Pew Research.

By contrast, Whites (79%) are more likely to have a desktop or laptop at home as compared to their Hispanic (63%) and Black (45%) peers. White students, in turn, tend to have a leg up on developing such tech skills as software coding outside of school, which enables them to begin exploring technology from a more sophisticated place at an earlier age.

One New York nonprofit has set out to narrow this digital divide. Founded in 2014 by Evin Robinson and Jessica Santana, New York On Tech (NYOT) serves teens with a passion for technology. "Minority students in low-income communities often grow up seeing how to use the end product," explains Robinson, but "they're not being exposed, and taught how to create and how to think about things in a different, strategic way." For example, "they're on Facebook, they're on Instagram, they love being content creators," says Santaia, "but they don't necessarily know how to be technical creators."

NYOT Co-Founders, Evin Robinson and Jessica Santana

Pairing each student with an individual, tech-savvy professional mentor, NYOT provides personalized instruction and "real-world" role models for every tech-loving teen in their program. Students not only learn computer programming skills, but also soft skills such as interviewing techniques and networking strategies. After the program, NYOT helps place students in internships at top tech companies. "This year we're working with 40 tech professionals who represent 27 different tech companies in New York City," explains Santana.

What follows is my lightly edited conversation with NYOT Co-Founders, Evin and Jessica.

---
Monica Gray: How would you describe yourself, Twitter-bio style?
Jessica Santana: Preparing next gen tech leaders. Building communities. Empowering people.

Evin Robinson: I would say: humble, hungry, hard working.
MG: How did you two first meet?
ER: At Syracuse, just randomly as anyone does in college. That following summer, we did an enrichment program together at Ernst & Young. Afterwards, we took the Brooklyn-bound A train together, and during the one-hour commute, we just started to talk a lot about our passions and, you know, what we wanted to do after college. One thing that we had in common was this strong desire to give back. So that was the foundation for our friendship. The other thing was that we actually got off at the same stop in Brooklyn, and realized that we lived in the same neighborhood but had never met until college.
MG: From there, what inspired you to team up to launch New York On Tech?
JS: Our interests in tech developed before we were even in college. We were teaching ourselves to code at a very early age. But when we got to college, that wasn't what we thought we would pursue as a career, simply because we didn't know there was a career in technology to go to in the first place! Over time, we started realizing that our hobbies could become our professions. We went to grad school and got our degrees in information technology, then started working as technology consultants. But coming back to New York City, we realized that while there was so much talent in the communities where we were from, people didn't necessarily know that there was a space for them in this industry because they didn't have opportunities to explore it inside or outside of the classroom. We wanted to start an organization to really empower students who don't traditionally have access to this field, to increase their chances to be part of it.

A conversation with NYOT mentor Shamel & his 12th grade mentee, Messiah.
MG: What does the "digital divide" mean to you?
JS: I think there's a notion out there that technology is readily accessible to every single person. And knowing the student population that we're working with, they might have phones, but that doesn't mean that they have a laptop at home. I think the digital divide really starts with asking: Do they have laptops? Do they have cost-effective access to Wi-Fi that's not just in the library? Because they can only use that for limited periods of time. And then it's not just: okay, let me give you a laptop. Let me give you access to Wi-Fi. But can someone participate in the technology creation process? For us, I think that's what the digital divide means. Having the information and the resources necessary to participate in innovation globally.

MG: Can you tell me more about the students in NYOT? Are most already into tech when you meet them?

ER: The students that we work with are young, ambitious, intelligent, very focused, and dedicated. A lot come from low-opportunity backgrounds and attend high schools that are considered Title I schools, which means a large population of the student body is eligible for free lunch.

JS: And they do have a pre-existing interest in technology, but they're using technology in very passive ways. Like, they're on Facebook, they're on Instagram; they love being content creators, but they don't necessarily know how to be technical creators. So, we work with students who love tech but don't have family members who are in tech, don't have classes in their high school or programs in their communities that are teaching them how to be tech creators.

NYOT students studying soft skills at a Saturday morning workshop.
MG: What do you think is one of the biggest misconceptions about your students?
ER: I would say that--because they usually come from low-income communities, disadvantaged neighborhoods-- they're not driven, that they're not smart, that they're not eager to learn more, that they're not hungry to progress in society. But if you come to one of our classes, you'll see that perspective is totally flipped on its head.

JS: I would say one of the biggest misconceptions is that they're unmotivated, that they don't know anything about technology. In reality, they can probably hold a very meaningful conversation with other people about what's going on in the industry because of the New York On Tech program. And because of the fact that they're users of technology every single day.

Kenya and Kate reflect on their experience at NYOT.
MG: Do you find that some of the kids you work with are unmotivated in school, but not in your program? Have you found something special that gets them fired up?
JS: I think of one of the students we worked with in particular. She wasn't a high academic GPA performer last year, but she was very interested in tech and was actively seeking opportunities to get involved in it. She learned about our program, came to every single workshop, won a best design award from one of the biggest tech nonprofits in our country, and then received a full scholarship and she is now pursuing Computer Science!
MG: Wow. How do you motivate students like this? What is the "secret sauce" of your program?
JS: Honestly, I think it's the mentoring aspect of it. We have a big dedicated mentoring program with tech professionals who really care, not only about the kids succeeding in the program, but in succeeding as our future leaders in their respective industries one year, two years, five years and even ten years down the line. This year we're working with 40 tech professionals who represent 27 different tech companies in New York City.

ER: It's not just about presenting information to someone, but how you make it relatable, so they can go through that transformation process. We were once the students that we're serving and because they can relate to us, it has been easy to motivate them. I never hide the fact that I came from a low-income community growing up. I don't hide the fact that I was a first generation college student, and that's usually part of the profile of the students we're working with today at New York On Tech.
This piece originally appeared on Young Education Professionals' Recess blog, and has been republished with permission.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Empowering Tech-Loving Minority Teens to Be Next-Gen Tech Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teens live and breathe technology. There has never been a truer adage. Whether they're jamming on MP3 players, typing Snapchats, or playing video games, today's youth are the most connected of any age group in U.S. history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Program Empowering Teens to See Goodness in Themselves & Others

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Insight Into the Teenage Brain: Adriana Galván at TEDxYouth@Caltech

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Stop Bullying on the Spot

When adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

Parents, school staff, and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
StopBullying.gov provides information from various government agencies on bullying, cyberbullying, prevention and response.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Raising Teens Project identified five significant ways in which parents can influence healthy adolescent development-the Five Basics of Parenting Adolescents:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What are Mental Disorders? What is Brain Injury? What is Stigma? We need to know as much about our minds as we do our bodies.site

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By LJM Photo/Getty Images

Strengthen Yours Here.

Start with a short quiz about parent-kid relationships and preparing kids for success.

Main Full Width

Building Relationships to Help Your Child Thrive Through Adolescence

Use ParentFurther to partner with families during the transition to middle school by offering this seven-session program in your school, organization, or community. Learn More.

Grow Stronger Together

Strong family relationships are key to helping kids thrive and overcome challenges. ParentFurther helps you build those relationships together. It comes to you from Search Institute.

New Research: Don't Forget the Families

What families do together to build strong relationships is the foundation for children developing the character strengths they need for success in school, work, and life.

Connect with us and other families:

ParentFurther is brought to you by Search Institute ®, 3001 Broadway St NE Ste 310, Minneapolis, MN 55413

1-800-888-7828 * www.search-institute.org

© 2018 Search Institute | All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By LJM Photo/Getty Images Start with a short quiz about parent-kid relationships and preparing kids for success. Building Relationships to Help Your Child Thrive Through Adolescence Use ParentFurther to partner with families during the transition to middle school by offering this seven-session program in your school, organization, or community. Learn More.

# data[].attributes.body
Create dynamic and engaging powerpoints

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Open Canvas

Create, organize, and move freely on an open canvas. Create seamless presentations without the restrictions of linear slides.

Ready-made asset libraries

Choose from millions of images, stickers, GIFs, and icons from Unsplash and Giphy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Presentations and videos with engaging visuals for hybrid teams | Prezi Present

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to Prezi, the presentation software that uses motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to bring your ideas to life and make you a great presenter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to the Center for Young Women's Health, an award-winning health website for young women and members of gender minorities around the world. Here, you can find answers to your questions, health guides on a variety of topics, health chats, and more!

Browse by Topic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to the Center for Young Women's Health, an award-winning health website for young women and members of gender minorities around the world. Here, you can find answers to your questions, health guides on a variety of topics, health chats, and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Partnership for Drug-Free Kids - Where Families Find Answers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Have you ever looked at your teenager child and wondered: "Why do you do that?"

From mood swings to risk taking, "normal teenage behavior" can appear to be anything but normal to parents and other adults. However, research reveals that patterns of brain development during these formative years play a significant role in shaping your teen's personality and actions. In other words, there's a biological reason teens act the way they do.

Scientists have learned that it takes a brain about 25 years to fully develop. To some degree, you can consider the teen brain still on "training wheels" - it's not yet able to perform at optimal adult levels. A huge burst of development happens during adolescence, and that burst can explain a lot of unpredictable - and sometimes risky - teen behavior.

The Adolescent Brain and the Behavior it Causes

From early adolescence through the mid-20s, the brain develops somewhat unevenly, from back to front. This may help explain teens' endearingly quirky behavior, but it also makes them prone to risk-taking.

You may have noticed some of these effects:

Difficulty holding back or controlling emotions

A preference for physical activity

A preference for high-excitement and low-effort activities (video games, sex, drugs, rock'n'roll)

Poor planning and judgement; rarely thinking of negative consequences

More risky, impulsive behaviors, including experimenting with drugs and alcohol

These parts are shouting but...

...this part is not quite ready to referee.

Slide marker to see MRI images showing brain maturation from ages 5 to 20¹

Memory

The memory center of the brain (the hippocampus) in teens who have already abused alcohol is 10% smaller than normal, and they have lower memory scores. ¹

Pleasure

Under the influence, the brain's reward circuits (the dopamine system) get thrown out of whack. This causes a teen to feel in a funk when not under the infuence -- and going back for more only makes things worse.

Coping and life-skills

While teens are undergoing a massive growth spurt, using drugs and alcohol may disrupt their brain development in unhealthy ways, making it harder for them to cope with social situations and the normal pressures of life.

The parts of the adolescent brain that develop first are those that control physical activity, emotion and motivation, in the back of the brain in the cerebellum, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens respectively.

However, the part of the brain that controls reasoning and impulses - known as the prefrontal cortex - is near the front of the brain and, therefore, develops last. This part of the brain does not fully mature until the age of 25.

The staggered development of certain parts of the brain can have noticeable effects on adolescent behavior. You may have noticed some of these in your teen:

Difficulty holding back or controlling emotions

A preference for high-excitement and low-effort activities (this is where the classic mantra of "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" comes from)

Poor planning and judgment (such as rarely thinking of negative consequences)

More risky, impulsive behaviors (including experimenting with drugs and alcohol)

The development of the adolescent brain and behavior are closely linked. The prefrontal cortex, which could be called the 'voice of reason' in the teen brain, isn't as influential as those parts that place a higher emphasis on emotion, excitement and short-term reward. In an instant, hormones can shift your teen's emotions into overdrive, leading to unpredictable - and sometimes risky - actions. Unfortunately, developing brains are generally more prone to damage. This means that experimentation with drugs and alcohol can have lasting, harmful effects on your teen's health.

The Effects of Drugs on the Teen Brain

Finding ways to satisfy needs and desires is part of life. It's one of the many skills being fine-tuned during the teen years. When a teen takes drugs in order to feel good, it interferes with the body's natural ability to do so. Here's how drugs affect the brain:

The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells. Nerves control everything from when the heart beats to what your teen feels, thinks and does. They do this by sending electrical signals throughout the body. The signals get passed from nerve to nerve by chemical messengers called neurotransmitters.

For example, some of the signals that neurotransmitters send cause a feeling of satisfaction or pleasure. These natural rewards are the body's way of making sure we look for more of what makes us feel good. (For instance, when we eat something tasty, neurotransmitters tell us we feel good. Seeking more of this pleasure helps to ensure we don't starve.) The main neurotransmitter of the "feel-good" message is called dopamine.

Drugs overload the body with dopamine - in other words, they cause the reward system to send too many "feel-good" signals. In response, the body's brain systems try to right the balance by letting fewer of the "feel-good" signals through. As time goes on, the body needs more of the drug to feel the same high as before. This effect is known as tolerance, and it can be especially dangerous in the cases of drugs like heroin and cocaine.

The effects of drugs on the brain don't just end when the drug wears off. When a person stops taking a drug, dopamine levels remain low for some time. He or she may feel down, or flat, and unable to feel regular pleasures in life. The brain will eventually restore the dopamine balance by itself, but it takes time - anywhere from hours, to days, or even months, depending on the drug, the length and amount of use, and the person.

Because teenagers have an over-active impulse to seek pleasure and less ability to consider the consequences, they are especially vulnerable when it comes to the temptations of drugs and alcohol. And because the internal reward systems are still being developed, a teen's ability to bounce back to normal after using drugs may be compromised due to how drugs affect the brain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Brain Development, Teen Behavior and Preventing Drug Use

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have you ever looked at your teenager child and wondered: "Why do you do that?" From mood swings to risk taking, "normal teenage behavior" can appear to be anything but normal to parents and other adults. However, research reveals that patterns of brain development during these formative years play a significant role in shaping your teen's personality and actions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Tips to Help With Tough SituationsA bully at school. That rough break up. Thinking about suicide. Life can give you challenges. We have some tips and tools to help you deal. Express yourself! Create an Avatar to reflect your personal style and coping skills. Be yourself. Share it and save it. Try it Out Look Happy​​Resolve to take action to combat depression with healthy habits. Watch VideoThank Yous ​This was a great experience! ​It made my outlook on things more positive! ​This actually helped. Thanks so much! See More Your Life Your Voice is provided by Boys Town. Boys Town, a national nonprofit, offers many resources for parents, families and children in times of need. Find out more now.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our health guides are written by medical experts and reviewed frequently by our staff so the information is up-to-date, ensuring that our readers have access to reliable health information. Search to find a specific guide or browse through our wide range of health topics.

Are you the parent of a teen? We have information for you, too! Check out our Parent's Page for health guides written by our clinicians specifically for parents. Learn about vaccines, healthy weight management, mental health, and much more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our health guides are written by medical experts and reviewed frequently by our staff so the information is up-to-date, ensuring that our readers have access to reliable health information. Search to find a specific guide or browse through our wide range of health topics. Are you the parent of a teen?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a parent of a teen, you are beginning to see your child become an adult. These are critical years that will affect both their current and future health. These links will help you learn how to guide your teen to become a healthy and productive adult.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a parent of a teen, you are beginning to see your child become an adult. These are critical years that will affect both their current and future health. These links will help you learn how to guide your teen to become a healthy and productive adult.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Research confirms what young people already know - what their parents have to say matters to teens. That's why parents play a powerful role in helping adolescents make healthy decisions. If you think talking to your son or daughter is tough, or it makes you nervous, know that you're not alone. Lots of other parents feel the same way.

Content created by Office of Adolescent Health
Content last reviewed on March 1, 2017

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Research confirms what young people already know - what their parents have to say matters to teens. That's why parents play a powerful role in helping adolescents make healthy decisions. If you think talking to your son or daughter is tough, or it makes you nervous, know that you're not alone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This site offers support and advice on health, emotions, and life — created for people 13–18 and approved by doctors.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
HealthyChildren.org - From the American Academy of Pediatrics

# data[].attributes.body
Create great brochures

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.