The (Hyper)Logic of Teen Brains

Teens are stereotyped as impulsive. Science shows they do think before acting, but they weigh pros & cons differently than adults. That difference has been key to human survival.

My 17-year-old informed his father and me that he wanted to go camping over spring break with his best friend. While my son has been camping a few times, he has never once gone without an adult. He has never planned or led a trip of any kind. My husband and I looked at each other, and made a wordless pact to convey no emotion other than curiosity. We wanted to gather information without shutting him down, beginning with the question: "Hmm. What's your plan?"

Starting with tent camping was both a brave and questionable first step. This is the story of teens: courage, curiosity, innovation, and a developing relationship with prep vs. action, risk vs. reward.

This morning, as I was trying to focus on an article about focusing, my son called me three times from a nearby grocery store where he and his friend were buying supplies for the trip.

In order to appreciate the series of calls - it might help to channel Dana Carvey channeling a teen boy: