The Implication of Being a Sponge

Brains are funny things. We wander around the world with brains inside of our heads. They dictate who we are, how we are and what we do. And — on top of it all — they are so unbelievably sensitive.

Ever since the day we were born, our brains have been sponges. The most absorbant kind of sponge you can imagine. With each new experience, the brain absorbs information, educating us about how to live. Naturally, the timeline of this absorption of information has many effects on our behavior.

Contrary to popular belief, between 18 and 24 years old, our brains are still incredibly absorbant sponges. Brains are not done developing until at least the age of 25. I don’t know about you, but for me, this completely shattered the feeling that I had truly reached adulthood. Our brains are still babies — incompletely developed, relatively inexperienced sponges.

Studies at Dartmouth College, University of Alberta, Newcastle University and Temple University have revealed some other interesting tidbits about the brain at our age:

Compared to older individuals, college students’ brains are less developed in the areas that integrate emotions and cognition (the insula, caudate and cingulate regions).

Younger individuals are more prone to making rash decisions because their reward systems are over-sensitive compared to older individuals.

The frontal lobe, the area of the brain that dictates impulse control, among other things, is one of the last areas of the brain to fully develop.

Girls’ brains usually mature two years faster than boys’ brains during the teenage years (sorry, boys).

There are some neural consequences of this brain development that help explain the prevalence of mental health issues at this age. Basically, the brain is constantly shifting and shaping throughout life. Neurons, the things in your brain that communicate and allow you to function, are like connecting vines. As you gain experience and grow older, they grow and prune themselves in order to make the most efficient, useful connections possible. Our brains continue this process much later into life than scientists originally hypothesized. Although some areas of the brain — like the hippocampus, which controls memory — will change throughout life, most areas finish this process of shifting and shaping around the age of 25.

Between 18 and 24, our prefrontal cortices are not fully developed. This cortex is like the boss of the brain. It is responsible for planning, problem-solving and other “higher order” functions. It turns out that planning and stepwise problem-solving skills are associated with resilience. Resilience — known as the ability to bounce back after difficulty — is a skill that is very important when it comes to mental health.

Let’s think back to my article last week. There are astoundingly high rates of depression and anxiety on college campuses. Although these rates cannot be entirely explained by the underdevelopment of our college-age brains, such underdevelopment can explain these rates in part. Our brains are not done being spongy. We are not at the point where we are able to be as fully resilient as we’d like. We lack some coping skills — on a biological level. Cut yourself some slack — we’re all still kids trying to figure out how to be adults.