1 WHATEVER! The Science of Teens
New five part series starts Thursday 23 July 2009 at 8pm on ABC1 Available on iView Friday 24 July Why do perfectly loveable children seemingly turn into grunting aliens overnight? At last science may have the answer to every parent’s greatest mystery... Teenagers are a uniquely human phenomenon. Other animals skip this phase altogether, developing rapidly from infancy to adulthood. And at no other time in our lives do our physical and social attributes change so dramatically. If you believe what you read the current generation of Aussie adolescents are the wildest yet. It seems they’re having more sex than ever before, they’re taking bigger risks, their emotions are frazzled, they binge drink at every given opportunity, they sleep all day or are otherwise glued to their mobile phones or video games. ‘Whatever! The Science of Teens’ explores the latest science that’s shedding light on why our cute and cuddly kids transform into these teen terrors. In each episode we meet actual Australian teenagers. By dissecting their lives we attempt to illustrate the biology behind the bad behaviour. And it’s NOT simply a matter of raging hormones. Our teens also act as ‘lab rats’ for regular experiments that bring the science to life. Along the way, Australia’s leading scientific and behavioural experts comment, and presenter Steve Cannane documents the teens in their natural habitats – the beach, the mall, the skate park or at wild parties. For years we’ve just put adolescent attitude down to surging hormones. But not anymore. The most recent research is proving that teen behaviour is actually a product of intricate and complex biological processes, that all serve a purpose in the ‘bigger picture’. It may be a difficult time of life, but it really is a matter of ‘no pain, no gain’. Production details: 5 X 26 minutes. Produced by Essential Media & Entertainment. Executive producer Chris Hilton. Producer Ian Collie. ‘Risk’ and ‘Binge’ are directed by Leo Faber. ‘Sex’ and ‘Mood’ are directed by Daniella Ortega. ‘Sleep’ is directed by Anne Delaney. For more information and interview requests please contact: Stephanie Whitelock on (02) 8333 3874 / 0421 598 678 or [email protected] For images: please visit http://abc.net.au/tvpublicity 2 Risk: WHATEVER! Episode 1 – Thursday 23 July at 8pm on ABC1 Everyone likes a thrill but teens take it to the next level. Sex, drugs and alcohol aren’t the greatest threat to teenagers ‐ it’s their own brain. The Teens: • Elias is sixteen and is a major thrill seeker. He’s your typical beach boy who acts first and asks questions later. His mantra is “you only live once”. • Saskia is worlds apart from Elias in terms of her social group. She’s a self described ‘Goth’, she may not be a thrill seeker but that doesn’t stop her from taking risks. • For Peter life is one big race course. He is a motor head who loves the buzz he gets when girls are impressed by his skills behind the wheel. The Science: Scientists are now realising that risk taking is actually a crucial phase of adolescence. By taking risks we force our brains to make decisions which allow our brains to grow. Until recently it was thought that the brain was fully developed by the time a child reached their teen years. We now know that the adult brain isn’t fully formed until well into a person’s twenties. This period of brain growth is central to carving out the future individual adult. But it also means that certain regions of the brain are still under construction. The brain’s ‘brakes’ don’t yet work, which lead teens to making some poor decisions. The Experiments: • Elias is taken into our purpose built ‘teen lab’ to test the speed in which he can assess risky scenarios. • In a mock game show environment, Saskia is tempted into taking a social risk (losing her mobile phone for two months) with cold hard cash. How much will it cost her to take the risk? • At Eastern Creek speedway Peter and Steve Cannane duel it out in a vintage car race with a difference. Just how many risks will Peter take versus Steve? And does Peter get out of it all? Binge: WHATEVER! Episode 2 – Thursday 30 July at 8pm on ABC1 Host Steve Cannane meets three very different young Aussies who all have experience binge drinking to varying degrees. It's a teen issue that has shaken a cocktail of concern. But is this just media hype? Through experiments we'll expose the true dangers behind what used to be seen as just a harmless rite of passage. The latest science on the effect alcohol has on teen brains is sobering stuff, guaranteed to get the nation talking. Sex: WHATEVER! Episode 3 – Thursday 6 August at 8pm on ABC1 Host Steve Cannane goes under the covers to explore the science of teen sex. Teenagers are tackling their emerging sexuality, pulled by biology and powerful peer group expectations. They also receive mixed messages from adults. In our highly sexualised raunch culture, teens are re‐writing the rules of sex and while their bodies suddenly become adult, they’re not necessarily in sync with their chief sex organ – the teen brain. Mood: WHATEVER! Episode 4 – Thursday 13 August at 8pm on ABC1 Host Steve Cannane meets some diverse teens who are all known for a particular character trait – they are moody. Parents complain about how their perfectly sensible, lovable children turn into volatile, irrational adolescents seemingly overnight. The latest science shows that typical teenage negative moods aren’t only inevitable, but they are especially helpful and beneficial for growing up. However these opportunities also come at a cost. Being a teen is the most vulnerable time in our entire lifespan to develop a mental illness. About a quarter of Australian teens are suffering from mood disorders like depression. Sleep: WHATEVER! Episode 5 – Thursday 20 August at 8pm on ABC1 Host Steve Cannane discovers that teen brains are wired to stay up late, sleep in and sleep more. But over a million Australian adolescents are struggling with this basic human process. With the assistance of five teen night owls we discover why, and what can be done to help them. We uncover the biological basis for adolescent sleep problems, undertake a series of tests to determine the damage sleep deprivation has on teenagers, and join one teen who tries to restart her body clock using bright light therapy. 3 The science behind WHATEVER!
Teenagers are a uniquely human phenomenon; most other animals skip this phase altogether, developing rapidly from infancy to adulthood, but humans have a very puzzling gap between sexual maturity and prime reproductive age. At no other time in our lives do our physical and social attributes change so dramatically. It’s a tumultuous period. Teenagers know it and now science is beginning to understand why. Now with the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI scans) scientists have uncovered windows into the teen brain that have prompted new theories about disorders and dysfunctions like depression and drug addiction which might explain their infuriating and at times apparently irrational behaviour. And it all happens in one part of the teen brain – the pre‐frontal cortex. The teen brain undergoes rapid fire synaptic rewiring, ruthlessly destroying and creating connections at lightning speed; it’s use it or lose it time, where what you learn (or don’t) gets hardwired into your brain for the rest of your life. Add a surge of powerful sex hormones to genetic traits (nature) and a rapidly changing social and technological world (nurture), and you’ve got a potentially volatile cocktail influencing a whole range of behaviours, from falling in love to suicide. It should be a healthy time of life – but it seems that teenagers are the only social group whose health is actually getting worse. In Australia for example, most teens do not practice safe sex, one in four teens has mental health problems, one in four is obese, and one in ten teens drink to harmful levels. A more developed understanding of teenagers and their behaviour patterns is a vital component of an inclusive and tolerant society, and is also an invaluable investment for the future. In light of what science tells us, it seems arbitrary that society has decided a young person is ready to drive a car at 16 years old or to drink alcohol, vote and serve in the Army at 18. Jay Geidd, the pioneer of teen brain science, says that the best estimate for when teens are truly mature is around 25 years old. Should this be the age then that young people are truly culpable for their actions? The astounding scientific discoveries made in the last decade, and featured in ‘Whatever! – The Science of Teens’, have opened up an exciting scientific opportunity that researchers all around the world are seizing upon right now. We talk to world experts across a range of associated disciplines including neuroscience, psychology and genetics among others. 4