為什麼青少年總是喜怒無常？：英語精讀講義

Being a teen can be an amazing time of discovery, learning, and friendship,

青少年時期可以是一段充滿探索、學習與友誼的精彩時光，

but it's also a time of rapid change

但這也是一個快速變化的階段，

and emotional highs and lows where things can feel really tough. 慣用語

情緒還會高低起伏，有時讓人覺得真的很難熬。

So, what's going on in our brains and bodies 片語動詞

那麼，我們的大腦和身體裡究竟發生了什麼事，

that make us feel this way? 文法

才會讓我們有這樣的感受？

Why is being a teen so hard?

為什麼當個青少年這麼難？

We're often told that the most important years of brain development 文法

我們常聽人說，大腦發育最重要的幾年

are between 0 and 5 years old,

是在0歲到5歲之間，

although recent research has found adolescent development to be equally important. 文法

不過近期研究發現，青少年時期的發育同樣重要。

During childhood, our brains continually grow generating gray matter until they reach their maximum size,

童年時期，我們的大腦會不斷成長並產生灰質，直到體積達到最大，

which for girls is around age 12 and boys around age 14.

女生的大腦通常在12歲左右達到最大體積，男生則在14歲左右。

But even after this, the brain works to become more efficient

但即使在那之後，大腦仍會努力提升效率，

by cutting away unused gray matter that isn't exercised by experience, 講解

修剪掉那些沒有透過經驗得到鍛鍊、因而閒置的灰質，

and at the same time increasing myelin, which is fatty tissue that insulates brain pathways.

同時增加髓鞘——一種為大腦路徑提供絕緣保護的脂肪組織。

Puberty begins in the hypothalamus, where a protein called kisspeptin is produced, 文法

青春期始於下視丘，這裡會產生一種名為吻素（kisspeptin）的蛋白質，

triggering the pituitary gland to unleash the hormones testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. 文法

它會促使腦下垂體釋放睪固酮、雌激素與黃體素。

These activate the ovaries and testes,

這些荷爾蒙會活化卵巢與睪丸，

but also cause you to seek emotionally charged experiences, 講解

但也會驅使你尋求情緒強烈的體驗，

whether it's a movie to make you sob 文法

無論是看一部讓你哭到不行的電影，

or driving 180 km per hour down the freeway.

還是在高速公路上以時速180公里狂飆。

It causes your response to emotionally loaded images or sounds to be more intense,

這會讓你對情緒色彩強烈的影像或聲音反應得更激烈，

which is why listening to One Direction may produce large bouts of the feels. 講解

所以聽 One Direction 的歌，可能會讓一陣陣強烈的情緒湧上心頭。

The area of the brain responsible for planning ahead and assessing risk is still immature in teenagers, 片語搭配

大腦中負責預先規劃和評估風險的區域，在青少年時期還沒發育成熟，

which is why teens are more likely to participate in high-risk behavior 講解

所以青少年更容易從事高風險行為，

like unprotected sex and drinking and driving.

例如未採取防護措施的性行為和酒駕。

Interestingly, in a simulated driving experience,

有趣的是，在模擬駕駛實驗中，

adults and teens took the same amount of driving risks while alone.

獨自一人時，成人和青少年冒險駕駛的程度相同。

However, when surrounded by an audience of friends,

然而，當身邊有一群朋友圍觀時，

teens took significantly more risks while adults were unaffected.

青少年會冒顯著更大的風險，成人則不受影響。

What's the benefit of this behavior? 表達脈絡

這種行為有什麼好處？

Peer acceptance.

獲得同儕認同。

In a study where teens were asked to rank music clips 文法

有一項研究請青少年為音樂片段排序，

with and without knowing what their peers had picked,

一種情況下，他們知道同儕選了什麼，另一種則不知道，

their choices changed.

結果他們的選擇改變了。

Unlike small children and adults, 表達脈絡

不同於幼童和成人，

feeling socially isolated as a teen creates feelings of intense unworthiness. 文法

青少年一旦感到在社交上被孤立，就會強烈覺得自己毫無價值。

This, along with our biology, can contribute to teens prioritizing friends over even family. 片語搭配

這種感受再加上我們的生理機制，可能會讓青少年把朋友看得甚至比家人更重要。

As social animals,

身為社會性動物，

stepping outside the safety of our family creates genetically diverse populations, 慣用語

走出家庭的安全圈，會形成遺傳多樣性更高的族群，

diminishing the likelihood of inbreeding.

進而降低近親繁殖的可能性。

In fact, teens have heightened social abilities

事實上，青少年的社交能力會有所增強，

like processing and evaluating facial expressions better than other age groups,

例如，他們比其他年齡層更擅長解讀與判斷臉部表情，

allowing teens to be extremely cognizant of friends' joy, sadness, or stress. 用詞

因此能極其敏銳地察覺朋友的喜悅、悲傷或壓力。

Speaking of stress, 表達脈絡

說到壓力，

the hormone released in stressful situations

在壓力情境下釋放的那種荷爾蒙，

to help soothe the brain cells of children and adults 文法

能幫助安撫兒童和成人的腦細胞，

has the opposite impact on teens, 片語搭配

卻會對青少年產生相反的影響，

causing an increase in anxiety.

使焦慮加劇。

Pair that with a change in circadian rhythms 講解

再加上晝夜節律發生變化，

making you want to wake up 3 to 4 hours later than adults,

讓你想比成人晚3到4小時起床，

it's no wonder some people describe teens as emotionally moody. 講解

難怪有人說青少年的情緒陰晴不定。

On the other hand, teens are very physically healthy. 表達脈絡

另一方面，青少年的身體其實非常健康。

The immune system is highly functioning,

他們的免疫系統功能很強，

teens have increased tolerance to temperature changes, 片語搭配

對溫度變化的耐受力更高，

and a high resistance to cancer.

對癌症也有很強的抵抗力。

But despite physical fitness, 文法

不過，儘管身體素質很好，

records show that death rates increase by 200 to 300% after childhood 文法

資料顯示，過了童年期後，死亡率會上升200%到300%，

due to motor vehicle accidents,

原因包括汽機車事故、

homicide, and suicide.

他殺與自殺。

Scientists believe that many changes in white matter,

科學家認為，白質的許多變化，

gray matter, and connections in the brain

以及灰質和大腦連結的變化

may be to blame with an increased risk of errors during this time. 片語搭配

可能是造成這種情況的原因，因為這段期間出錯的風險會提高。

But with a greater number of synaptic connections and increased plasticity, 文法

不過，由於突觸連結更多、可塑性更強，

the teenage brain is primed to learn quickly and memorize content fast. 用詞

青少年的大腦已準備好快速學習，並迅速記住內容。

Unlike an older brain rooted in what it knows, 慣用語

不同於年長者那種根植於既有認知的大腦，

teens can respond easily to their environment

青少年能輕鬆地對周遭環境做出反應，

and make incredible strides in communication and socialization. 慣用語

並在溝通與社交方面取得驚人的進步。

Not to mention being passionate is incredibly valuable 表達脈絡

更不用說，充滿熱情本身就極具價值，

and taking risks is often what is needed to make changes in your life 文法

而要改變自己的人生，往往需要勇於冒險，

and the lives of others.

要改變他人的人生也是如此。

Being a teen can be tough, 表達脈絡

青少年時期可能很難熬，

but it can also be amazing.

但也可能精彩無比。

If you want to know why teens are the biggest super fans

如果你想知道為什麼青少年會成為最狂熱的粉絲，

and become obsessed with their favorite bands and shows,

又為什麼會迷上自己最喜愛的樂團和節目，

check out our latest AsapThought on the science of fandom.

就來看看我們最新一期 AsapThought，了解粉絲文化背後的科學。

Links are in the description to see that video.

觀看這部影片的連結就在說明欄。

And subscribe for more weekly science videos.

也請訂閱，收看我們每週更新的更多科學影片。