07/07/25

Today, I deepened my understanding of how powerful the adolescent brain is. Through watching a video and reading an article on neuroplasticity, and listening to a podcast about the importance of continuing to build on foundational skills during adolescence, I have realized that adolescence is one of the most important and flexible periods of development.

One question I posed, How might the quality of an adolescent’s relationships with peers shape their ability to adapt to future complex social environments? got me thinking about the long-term impacts of social dynamics during this stage of development. Supportive relationships don’t just help teenagers to “get through” high school, but actually affect how well they can handle social situations for the rest of their lives.

This makes me reflect on my own time in middle and high school, and how grateful I am that I had a couple groups of friends that stuck with me through thick and thin. In turn, it makes me proud that I was able to be supportive and a good friend to others during this time too.

Teenagers are not just a “behavioural problem to manage,” but kids that need support with learning, relationships, and resilience.