The Teenage Brain
This module will give you a basic understanding of how the human brain develops (don’t worry, you don’t need a science degree!) which will help you understand how teenagers experience your venue. This can help us understand teenage behaviour and why it is particularly important to welcome and engage with young people.
As discussed in module 1 stereotypes of teenagers being aggressive, fragile, risk taking and self-conscious can be damaging. Our preconceptions affect our behaviour towards young people in our venues. However, there is an element of truth to some (not all!) teenagers being more likely to behave in an unpredictable and sometimes challenging way. An understanding of how the human brain develops can help us understand why this is and why we should try to empathise with these behaviours rather than clash with them.
Young people are still shaping their view of the world and what it has to offer and their brains are rewiring to form patterns which can influence them far into adulthood. This presents a unique opportunity when teenagers visit your venue independently for the first time, as a positive experience has real potential to result in a lifelong interest.
Activity 1
When was the first time you went to a cultural or heritage venue independently (not on a school trip or being taken there by someone older than you)?
Draw a quick sketch or write a short description of what you remember about the visit.
- Where did you go?
- Why did you go there?
- What did you see?
- What did you see, hear, smell or feel?
- Do you remember any interactions with staff?
- Did you feel welcome, comfortable and safe, or uncertain, self-conscious or nervous – or a mixture?
What observations have you made of young people in your venue?
- Have you ever noticed them being particularly quiet or cautious?
- Or loud and energetic?
- Have they ever been confrontational?
- If they are in a group, do they behave in any ways that are noticeably different from older groups?
Activity 2
Understanding how the human brain works and develops can help us understand why teenagers might behave in a different way to others, especially in a place they haven’t been to before. At any age, going to a new place for the first time can lead to feelings of nervousness and uncertainty, especially if you have never been to somewhere like it before. Module 3, on written and unwritten rules, explores this further, showing how visiting a venue can be more challenging if the rules and expectations are unclear.
Teenagers, who are exploring the world independently for the first time, are constantly being faced by new experiences. Through these, they are shaping their opinions about the world. This influences the development of parts of their brain which determine what kind of adult they will become, and will play a big role in the choices they make in the future.
Oldham Theatre Workshop have created this film to illustrate how the three main parts of the human brain work, and what kind of behaviours they are linked to.
Activity 3
Now you have heard from young people about how the brain develops, this exercise will help you remember the three parts of the brain and what each part does.
Can you match the three key areas of the brain with their locations on the image below?
