Beautiful Teenage Brains Article Analysis Essay

In David Dodd's article "Beautiful Teenage Brains" (2012), he states why there are explanations on why teens are behaving oddly and different with others. Dodds introduces the theory by explaining the case studies in which teenager’s behavior were observed and reviewed. Dodds had written this piece to acknowledge that there are explanations as to why teens make hasty decisions and on the acts of how they respond in a manner. The audience that was intended were towards the people who don’t relate or know about teenagers and their behavior.

I believe that this essay describes the teenagers mind and the incentive on taking risk in life. I know from my own experiences in life as a teenager that I had did things that I wouldn't do with family or someone older around me. The behavior I have around friends would differ from parents, because parents take thing a certain way. I knew and acknowledged the implications that my parents had, but I felt comfortable and wanted to get along with my peers. At one point of time, it was about the picture and how people looked at me in my earlier years when it comes to becoming a teenager. At my school is was be popular and hang with the gang or be an outcast and loner. Teens take more risk not because they don’t understand the dangers, but because they weigh risk versus rewards differently (Dodds). Dodds have mentioned this because he had come to the belief on how teenagers understand what they are doing, it’s just they aren’t concern about anything, only fitting in and getting approved into society. 

Dodds had did a fine job of writing his thesis argument. “14-17-year olds-the biggest risk takers-use the same basic cognitive strategies [ways of knowing] that adults do” (Dodds). In this quote, Dodds suggests that teens have the potential to think objectively as adults do. This may come to teens having risks rather than benefits that encourage them to make difficult choices. Dodds points out that when teenagers take more chance, they will think more seriously and start to excel more frequently. “They usually reason their way through problems just as well as adults” (Dodds).  The quote indicates that teenagers will think just as well as adults though they typically won’t think of the troubles created. Dodds also tells us about the teenagers and adults driving game test. Teens had to surprisingly drive around more carefully with peers, while with parents, which has proven the rational thinking capacity that younger people like teenagers have. In conclusion, Dodds had been able to provide ample knowledge about the bright young minds of today's generation and give his opinions and some scenarios.