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Why Do They Act That Way?

Over the years, I have paid a lot of attention to the effects of media use on very young children. Recently, I highlighted several studies suggesting that babies who get set in front of the TV for a couple of hours each day miss out on other important experiences and may have serious problems learning later in life. Media use, we are starting to see, has a major impact on very little kids, an impact that may last for the rest of their lives.

One of the reasons scientists are carefully examining what media can do to a young life is because they already know that young children's brains are extremely malleable. Because babies and toddlers are in such a state of flux, certain factors - like media use, nutrition, having parents who regularly read to them - can significantly shape the way their brains are wired.

Unfortunately, with all of the focus on the development of little tykes, another important story sometimes gets lost. Adolescents, in many cases the people who use media most heavily, are sometimes not considered as rigorously. Obviously, a teenager is not as delicate as a baby, but what is the result of all that time in front of the TV screen, at the movies, under their headphones, logged onto the Internet and plugged into the latest video game?

To answer that question correctly, it's important to note that thanks to the latest research, we now know that in some ways teenagers are as delicate as babies. Contrary to long-standing belief, the adolescent brain is not complete. In fact, it is in the midst of a period of dynamic growth. And during this important developmental stage, an adolescent brain can be very powerfully affected by the experiences they have.

In my new book, Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen, I translate the latest research on adolescent brain development into easily understood terms. From video game violence to healthy sleep habits, from media portrayals of sexuality to clinical depression, disrespectful behavior to peer pressure, this new information can help parents of teens better understand nearly every issue they face. Most importantly, in every chapter I include suggestions, based on the latest science, on how to raise a healthy, happy teen.

Thanks to our new understanding of the adolescent brain, we now know there is a neurological revolution in their skulls. Neuroscientists agree: when the brain is in the midst of major rewiring, it is extremely susceptible to outside influences. In other words, the experiences our teens have when their brains are developing have a much greater impact on how they will grow up than the experiences they have when brain development is quiet. How can we possibly expect them to grow up healthy if they vicariously experience violence, disrespect, and sexually charged situations for hours each day through the media? If we believe that Sesame Street is teaching our four-year-olds something then we better believe that Grand Theft Auto Vice City is teaching our fourteen-year-olds something.

David Walsh, Ph.D. is the founder of the MediaWise Movement, a program of the National Institute on Media and the Family (www.mediafamily.org). His latest book, Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen is available at all major booksellers.