Adolescence has been defined as that period of development between the dependence of childhood and the independence of adulthood. Aaron M. White, a health science administrator, and Scott Swartzwelder, a professor of psychology, chart some of the common experiences of these years of change and turmoil: the raging of sexual hormones, the lust for adventure and risk-taking, short-term thinking, mood swings, rebellion against parental rules and regulations, and contradictory yearnings for solitude and group participation.
White and Swartzwelder provide a tour of the teen brain and its impact on learning, memory, emotion, the pursuit of pleasure, and the drag of stress. Although youth are hobbled by all the pressures of this period of life, they are much more likely to vent their anger through temper tantrums and other expressions of violence than cope with stress by meditating or exercising regularly. With great precision and acuity, the authors delve into some worrisome issues: mental health (attention deficit hyperactivity anxiety, anorexia and bulimia), food (sugar, caffeine, over-eating), sleep (too little), driving, the digital world (social media, pornography), sex and sexuality, drugs, and violence (bullying, video game violence).
White and Swartzwelder hit high stride in their commentaries on texting, the upside of screen time, and the risks to hearing loss posed by constant use of earbuds and headphones. What Are They Thinking?! is a thought-provoking resource that sensitive and diligent parents and adult friends of teens cannot afford to pass up.
