The Tween Brain | Brain Games

while it might be easy to recognize
twins growing older predicting what
their brains will do is not so simple to
gain insight to the tween brain we’re
asking people on the boardwalk some
questions about good and bad ideas is it
a good idea to eat salad
how about bugs with ice cream is it a
good idea to go to the gym and workout I
think eating ice cream with bugs on it
is a horrible idea going to the gym is a
good idea
it’s a good idea Teta salads these
questions might seem easy even obvious
but it’s not what you answer but how you
answered that says a lot about what
stage of life your brain might be at
young children generally answered
quickly based on rules they’ve learned
from grown-ups what do you think about
swimming in water where there might be
some sharks grown-ups of course have
learned these rules over a lifetime and
also answer quickly as a terrible idea
to swim in water with sharks I think
it’s a terrible idea
spilling water where you see sharks all
you want to be fish bait but things are
different with the tween brain what do
you think about maybe swimming with
sharks I mean they’re not naturally
going to like hurt you okay you’re on
the fence as well yeah they wouldn’t be
intimate you they just mistake you for
something else like a seal swimming with
sharks
seriously why aren’t our tweens outright
rejecting a bad idea we often criticize
tweens for acting out of
self-centeredness but these girls are
doing something that much younger girls
aren’t they’re exploring their options
in between years in the very beginning
of adolescence the world’s yours the
possibilities are infinite almost like
another toddlerhood in terms of the
explosion of independent thought they
become super self centered is the sort
of idea right and the thing is if you
look a little more closely it might look
like they’re being self centered on the
surface yeah but they’re actually being
hyper-vigilant they’re being aware of
themselves in context hmm considering
the possibility right which is a really
important part of learning about the
world you got to consider the
possibilities fascinating
surprising right what we think of as
preteens being self-centered might
actually be your early adolescent brain
doing its due diligence making decisions
not from selfishness but from taking the
time to consider all of your options and
everyone else’s point of view