Current research indicates that adolescent brains are different from adult brains because they are essentially unfinished works in progress. This fact may explain certain seemingly irrational teenage risk behavior such as poor decisionmaking, recklessness, and emotional outbursts. Dr. Jay Giedd from the National Institute of Mental Health claims that the fact that adolescent brains are still developing means that teens may actually be able to control how their brains are wired and sculpted. Additional research indicates that alcohol use affects teens and adults differently with adolescents being more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol on learning and on memory. Furthermore, the adolescent brain differs from adult brains in its ability to read and understand emotion in the faces of other individuals. While all of the implications of this new research remain to be seen, it is important to recognize that teenagers are empowered with opportunities to develop their brains through the positive and negative activities in which they participate. References