What is an Adolescent?
By Makena Wood, B.Sc. Neuroscience student
Part of Building Brains Together’s mission involves our dedication to the cause of supporting brain development and executive function across the lifespan. A human lifespan has many different stages of development, some of which occur physically (like the bodily growth and changes from infancy, to toddlerhood, to childhood, to adolescence, to adulthood, to senescence) and some occur socially (like the learning that happens in the first year of life to preschool, to grade school, to the adult world, and into old age). In order for community organizations, like Building Brains Together (BBT), to effectively support any given stage of life, we must understand the specific attributes and experiences that are unique to that period of life. So, to answer the question, ‘What is an Adolescent?’ we will discuss the features of adolescence and how they make adolescence a unique developmental period deserving of dedicated support.
What is an Adolescent?
Broadly speaking, adolescence is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood that is filled with milestone physiological, social, and neurological development; however, these developments lack common starting and end points which can make adolescence difficult to define in concrete terms1. For example, many physical changes related to puberty can be first observed between the ages of 10-13 (often with later onset in boys than in girls), while neurological changes reflecting the transition from the child to the adolescent brain can begin before puberty and continue far beyond1.
At the same time, the social transitions involved in adolescence are largely dependent on cultural, societal, and familial contexts. No two teens will experience adolescence in the same way. Therefore, it is difficult to decide explicitly when childhood ends and when adolescence begins or, conversely, when adolescence ends and adulthood begins. For instance, it can be true that an individual can be physically an adult and neurologically an adolescent.
So, what is an adolescent? In many ways the social definition of adolescence, being the transition from childhood to adulthood involving increased demands at school and employment to prepare for independence, is the simplest; physically comparing two adolescent brains is hardly possible and the timing of puberty is extremely variable. What is important to acknowledge is that when individuals are experiencing this social transition, their brains are likely to be experiencing a transition as well. As adolescents face rising demands, it is important to continue to encourage them to prioritize meaningful play to support the development of executive functions because their brains are primed for transition, development, and reinforcement.
Adolescent Resources
For ideas on how to support adolescent brain development:
Check out BBT’s Adolescent curriculum: buildingbrains.ca/adolescents
Keep an eye on our page of FREE online courses (buildingbrains.ca/courses) for a course all about adolescents coming this Fall 2026!
→ The BBT Adolescence Course will feature 4 modules:
Inside the Adolescent Brain
Supporting Healthy Social Media Use and Mental Health
Sex Differences in the Brain and Risk-Taking Behaviour
The Importance of Sleep, Physical Activity, and Social Connections
References
Sawyer, S. M., Azzopardi, P. S., Wickremarathne, D., & Patton, G. C. (2018). The age of adolescence. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(3), 223–228. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2352-4642(18)30022-1