Adolescence lasts longer than ever — and why that can be a good thing

The Chicago Tribune:

Adolescence lasts three times longer than it used to, according to new research, which means a hormonal 10-year-old and a not-yet-launched 24-year-old are both well within the range of normal.

“Adolescence has been stretched at both ends because of the early onset of puberty and the delayed transition into adulthood,” says Temple University psychology professor Laurence Steinberg, whose findings are spelled out in the new book, “Age of Opportunity: Lessons From the New Science of Adolescence” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt).

Steinberg, who will appear in Evanston and Northfield in early November, analyzed two decades of behavioral science, social science and neuroscience to understand the anatomy and plasticity of the adolescent brain.

He hopes his work helps parents and educators do two things: grasp the developmental importance of the prolonged period and stop viewing it as something to be “survived.”

Read the whole story: The Chicago Tribune