Introduction

 As teenagers, we all share one thing in common, something adults often scold us for. No, it's not excessive use of our phones, but the tendency to take more risks, without considering the potential hazards of our actions. Whether it's doing dares, skipping school, or pushing limits, teenagers aren't just doing this to be “rebellious”; there's actually a science behind it. A science related to our psychological and neurological development. This article dives deeper into the reasons behind adolescents' defiant nature.  

The ventral striatum

Now I know what you're probably thinking: What is a “ventral striatum”? Well, ladies with gentle hands, this very system is what's behind our compulsive desire to impress. It is located within the basal ganglia, in the forebrain, and it processes emotion, reward, motivation, and pleasure. This region becomes sensitive and hyperactive during our teenage years, as a response to pleasurable experiences. It does this through ~*Dopamine*~, the brain's reward neurotransmitter. Since the dopamine system goes into overdrive during the adolescent years, any experience that a teenager would find rewarding would trigger a flood of intense dopamine hits. Note that it’s not the dopamine itself that leaves the teenager feeling “high”, but the way our brains respond to the dopamine. Unlike adults, teenagers don't have a fully developed prefrontal cortex, which controls logic, responsibility, and balanced emotions. This means that while the limbic system (emotion + reward system) is fully developed and active, the prefrontal cortex is not yet ready to regulate the intense amount of emotions bombarding us at once. So with all this unregulated and addictive dopamine, we quite literally feel obsessed with ‘rewarding’ situations that would trigger its production. 

Hormones

Fun fact: Hormones from the brain are what trigger puberty in teens! Subsequently, they’re also a significant factor in the behaviour of teens! Testosterone - a hormone that is found in higher levels in men, increases during puberty and affects aggression, competitiveness, and dominance. With those psychological drives, it also enhances risk tolerance and sensation seeking. The release of this hormone in the body leads to more impulsive behaviour, stronger emotional reactions, and just the greater willingness to challenge authority and take physical risks. Testosterone also “weakens” the amygdala’s threat perception. It does this by binding to the amygdala’s androgen receptors. When it binds to them, it changes the way in which neurons in the amygdala fire. This change is often the weakening of circuits that process fear and threat. The amygdala also sends fear signals to the prefrontal cortex; testosterone weakens the connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. And as a result of that, testosterone translates situations that could be harmful as less dangerous. Metaphorically, testosterone could be interpreted as that one kid that doesn’t tell the adults -the prefrontal cortex-when anything bad happens, so nobody gets in trouble.  That’s often why men tend to indulge in more dangerous situations than women, because men have more testosterone than women. Hence, the popular saying “this is why women live longer than men.” 

Friends dude

Friends heavily influence teen decision-making, and we find the need to satisfy others to avoid looking uncool. Our Ventral striatum lights up with dopamine when you receive something good, money, sugar, or likes. It's a brain reward system involved in motivation. Dopamine is released when we experience pleasure or achieve goals. It’s what makes us crave a certain experience again, by making us feel motivated. It makes certain actions feel exciting and worth it. And during adolescence, the dopamine system becomes more active and sensitive. As teenagers, we feel BIGGER dopamine spikes from rewarding activities, which makes us crave it more. Statistics show that adolescents and some college undergraduates indulge in more risky behavior when observed by peers. (Gardner & Steinberg, 2005; O’Brien, Albert, Chein & Steinberg, in press). The Gardner & Steinberg 2005 neuroimaging study used fMRI scans to detect activity in the brains of adolescents when playing a driving game. They first tested adolescents alone, and then with peers of the same age. The study showed that teenagers take TWICE as many risks when with peers versus alone. TWICE, aka 50%!!! That’s a big number. Not only that, but the scans showed an activation in the ventral striatum when peers were present. This indicates that the ventral striatum responds to social interactions and experiences.

Conclusion

To tie it all together, it is a combination of hormones, dopamine, and a tremendous change in the anatomy of your brain during adolescence, which dictates your unprecedented behavior, be it a dangerous stunt or intense feelings when you see an attractive person.