Young+Teens+Development

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=Young Teens Development (11-14)=

Though many youth development sites and articles split teens into two categories to better show how teens develop, sources cite various age ranges between "younger teens" and "older teens." The ages I chose (11-14) do not perfectly define development for younger teens as youth develop at somewhat different rates, but they do provide a general overview of what typically occurs around these ages. Many of the items listed here appear in multiple sources. These are listed under the Website portion of the Adolescent Development Resources wiki page.

Physical Development

 * Puberty begins
 * Hormone levels increase and fluctuate
 * Many youth during this time experience rapid physical growth
 * Girls grow more during this period, while most boys tend to physically mature slightly later

Cognitive Development

 * The myriad synapses in the brain begin to consolidate into fewer synapses as multiple parts of the brain rapidly develop
 * More important connections (neurons used more frequently) strengthen--a substance called myelin wraps around connections to make them stronger--while unused connections go away (NSW, 2011).
 * Due to these many changes and development, what youth learn at these ages may be more likely to enter their longterm memory
 * Youth at this age have a wide variety of interests, and their intellectual interests at this age begin to become more complex
 * Youth spend time considering moral and ethical ideas, and a sense of right and wrong becomes more developed
 * At these ages, youth are focused more on the present rather than the future
 * The frontal lobes (associated with the ability to make smart judgments and rational decisions) is the last part of the brain to develop fully - youth at this age use their amygdala (associated with emotional reactions) more than older teens

Emotional and Social Development

 * Youth begin to spend less time with their parents and more time with friends
 * Peers are very influential for youth (both positively and negatively). Peer pressure is part of this, but youth also model peers whom they respect (Steinberg and Morris, 2001).
 * More time is spent texting, instant messaging or talking with friends on the phone
 * Cliques and more defined social groups develop, though youth often move between groups
 * Interest in sexuality increases
 * Romantic relationships tend to be frequent and short-lived
 * More conflicts with parents and other figures of authority arise as youth move towards greater independence and realize that adults are imperfect
 * Youth test rules to determine level of consequences
 * Youth focus on self and are often concerned what others (especially peers) think
 * Adolescents at these ages experience heightened emotions and changes in mood
 * Stress increases as school work becomes more challenging
 * Youth experience a general feeling of awkwardness in regard to social fluency and body image
 * At these ages, adolescnts will exhibit more childish behavior when stressed