Up a Pole or Draw a Line in the Sand …Teen Girl Choices in a Changing Culture … or Not

Madonna says when she was criticized by a famous feminist as someone who objectifies women. She responded by saying: ‘If you are a feminist, you don’t have sexuality, you deny it. I am a different kind of feminist; I am a bad feminist.’ Madonna.

A parent asked me recently about her daughter, “Do you think that social media is like going to the mall to hang out … she will shake it off as she grow older, right?

I wish I could so believe that the adolescent brain will survive its own circuitry messages based on materialism, hyper sexuality, ego worship, and adult role-play that will hopefully develop into more logical, deductive thinking skills.

How does the adolescent brain beget information?

The learning process cannot be relegated to the mall or cellphones as singular acts soon enough forgotten. Our brain creates a mental map of its environment with triggers for learning from sensory inputs to cognitive associations. It builds networks of perceptions, facts and contexts, encodes memories and habits, where breaking fixed assumptions and routines is hard to reset.

What are neuronal pathways? (The Brain from Top to Bottom)

Neural circuits are composed of a number of neurons (nerve cells) that communicate with one another through special junctions called synapses.

Neuroscientists and psychologists explain how neuronal connections are physically wired from your actions and emotions based on what you do repeatedly; both good and bad, which are strengthened with repetition. So what do you think about how many hours teen girls spend on social media or their choice of Selfies to get the most responses?

Therefore, if you want to change how you think or act, you need clear steps to break out of the habit, to experience and stimulate different neuronal pathways. So, what are the different steps that teen girls would be willing to take to adapt to other activities especially in this modern celebrity infused environment?

Most people understand the brain has an amazing adaptive quality known as neuroplasticity that persists over a lifetime. Teenagers will…