I was a terrible teen. Now my son is turning into one, karma is coming for me | Polly Hudson
My mum loves to remind me how sullen, furious and monosyllabic I was. Now she canāt wait to see how Iāll handle parenting an adolescent
My mum loves to remind me how sullen, furious and monosyllabic I was. Now she canāt wait to see how Iāll handle parenting an adolescent The āBaader-Meinhof phenomenonā is a more satisfying name for frequency illusion ā noticing a concept, word or product more often just after becoming aware of it. And after reading a fascinating article by a professor who insists that when a teenager makes āthe stupid choiceā, their brain is actually āworking exactly as designedā, Iām suddenly seeing teens everywhere.
Not just literally, because itās the school holidays ā hanging about in groups, being scarily tall and all dressed identically ā but also in news stories, adverts for adolescent skincare, old clips of Harry Enfieldās Kevin and Perry sketches. Not unrelated: my sonās 12th birthday is fast approaching. This is the very last year my little boy will be nice and preteen, and Iām being reminded from all angles, by all algorithms.
Soak up every second while thereās still time! Tick tock, tick tock! Thanks, Baader-Meinhof. Teenage minds function āin a way that has been shaped by evolution for a unique and uniquely challenging time of life,ā according to Dr Evelyn Svingen, assistant professor of criminology at the University of Birmingham. This is reassuring and concerning in equal measures ā in the future my sonās going to make dumb decisions, but itās OK, because thatās what heās meant to do.
Sheesh. Continue reading...
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