Essay Sample on Accountability in Adolescents

Teenagers often use some form of social media in their free time, whether it be for innocent or malicious purposes. Though it varies from person to person, the mentality of the teen plays a part in how they use these devices. Typically, it is older children who use their socials irresponsibly, rather than younger children. Depending on the age of the adolescent and the level of restriction their guardians impose, teens are somewhat capable of using digital information responsibly, and overall should completely be held responsible for the choices they make.

Teen brains that are at their pinnacle of growth are commonly acting out thoughtless and unwise things, whether it be online with friends, or in-person in public. As part of puberty, thoughtlessness is already ordinary in a teen’s day-to-day life. The main reason for this, though, is due to the lack of development in an adolescent’s mind. In the book Why Do They Act That Way?, this point is brought up. The text reads, “Gidd, one of the first people to scan the brains of normal adolescents, has been doing it for over ten years. His nonclinical brain scans were critical in proving that the adolescent brain is not a finished product but a work in progress, in the midst of dynamic change” (Bennett and Walsh). As clearly suggested, Gidd has scanned the teenage brain and concluded that during this time in their life, they are going under extreme change. This fact can cause them to not be as mentally and emotionally stable, leading them to do unwise things and act upon unwise thoughts. On another related note, teenagers simply do not have as great an ability as grown adults to think before acting. This lack of management, along with other things, can result in negative consequences for the teen. In other words, “...teens do not have the impulse control of adults” (Bennett and Walsh). As argued previously, teen years are when a person goes under the most mental (and physical) development. That, along with emotional changes, can overstimulate the adolescent brain and cause for impulsive actions. However, maturing is not the only cause of impulsive behavior.

Adolescence and maturing in general can cause teens to lose control of themselves on social media, and overall make bad decisions. A point to bring up has to do with bullying. A decrease in undeveloped minds interacting with each other also decreases bullying occurrences, and vice-versa. Here, a snippet from Digital Tyranny expresses just that thought. It notes, “One reason for the decline is that in-person interactions can fuel both online and in-person bullying. Bullying tends to start in unstructured time, which doesn't exist in the same way in online schooling” (Freeman and Martaniuk). Teens making regrettable choices in the real world can trigger others under mental development to also impulsively do or say things, eventually leading to some form of conflict. All that is concluded about these types of situations is that growing may cause spontaneous events to happen. In addition to bullying, these impulses can also lead to social media having an influence on drug use. Accordingly, in Adolescents Development and Growing in the Digital Age, the authors state, “These worries are fueled by media reports that equate the attractiveness of social media to drug addiction, claiming that it is deteriorating young minds and disconnecting children from the ‘real’ world”(Odgers and Jensen). The vulnerability of teens during this time in their development can lead to drug addiction, as illustrated here. Whether or not a teen is an excelling or troubled child, nearly all teens have acted on impulsive thoughts at one point.

Based on information gathered revolving around teen brains and their use of social media, teens should be held accountable for their actions online, but not as much so for younger children. One of the many reasons teens should receive worthy consequences for impulsive behavior is simply because development of the mind cannot excuse every mistake they make, depending on the severity. A snippet from the novel Why Do They Act That Way? goes through this perfectly. The text notes, “Even though it is not the teen’s fault that his brain isn’t fully under his control, it’s his responsibility to learn to get it under control” (Bennett and Walsh). Though this citation is from a specific scenario in the novel, the text describes a main problem teens have with self control remarkably. It is always the adolescent’s responsibility to get their own thoughts and actions under control, no matter the age. Similarly, failing to control oneself can cause cyberbullying to occur in a teen’s life, as noted before. Though, in this case it is more common in teenage girls. This problem may be due to the difference in hormones during puberty, but it unquestionably has to do with the teen brain. In “Forms of Cyberbullying,” the article points out, “Teenagers—especially young women—are most susceptible to cyberbullying. A 2020 study by the website Security.org found that at least 20 percent of young people between ages 10 and 18 had been bullied.”  As emphasized, bullying is common amongst teens of all ages, more common than in adults or younger children. There is little to no other reason as to why this may happen than simply the development teenagers go through. It is also no coincidence that teens go through the most bullying, as everyone is going through changes around the same times as others, especially emotional changes. Though age may not be a cause for one’s spontaneous thoughts and actions, age commonly has to do with these impulses.

All in all, the effect that the adolescent brain has on adolescents is evident online. Overall, teens should be held accountable for not only their actions, but also the choices they make. Though, younger adolescents should not be responsible, for the most part. Impulses are a common result of development in a teen’s brain, and this growth can lead to them doing regrettable things, online or offline. Once they hit adulthood, their brain's growth should be complete and they are more likely to recognize a mistake before acting upon it. All of this depends on the age and maturity of the adolescent.

Works Cited

Bennet, Nat, and David Walsh. Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen. Free Press, July-Aug. 2004, 

https://kami.app/ARD-uUW-tV3-7vt.

Collins, Rebecca L., et al. “Influence of New Media on Adolescent Sexual Health: Evidence and Opportunities.” ASPE: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 14 Apr. 2011, https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/influence-new-media-adolescent-sexual-health-evidence-opportunities-0.

"Forms of Cyberbullying." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ2181500314/SUIC?u=crnorth&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=b33ab9f1.

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Herold, Benjamin. “Social Media Use Among Teenagers Is Rising Rapidly.” Education Week, vol. 38, no. 5, Sept. 2018, pp. 1–14. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=132974267&site=ehost-live.

“Keeping Children Safe Online.” The United States Department of Justice, 25 Oct. 2021, https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/keeping-children-safe-online.

Martiniuk, Alexandra, and Joseph Freeman. “Digital Tyranny.” New Scientist, vol. 252, no. 3364, Dec. 2021, p. 25. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/s0262-4079(21)02207-7.

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Odgers, Candice L, and Michaeline R Jensen. “Adolescent development and growing divides in the digital age.” Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, Jun. 2020, Volume 22, No. 2, pp. 143-149. NCBI, 10.31887/DCNS.2020.22.2/codgers.

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