How adolescents make choices

Haven't you thought this through?!

You hear yourself saying it to a teenager you're responsible for: Haven't you thought this through?! They've made a choice, the consequences aren't great, and now they're getting an earful. They should have thought it through better.

And in some cases, that's absolutely true. But in many cases, they did think it through. They weighed their options, considered different factors... and still made the choice that now seems questionable. The misunderstanding comes from the fact that teenagers and adults often have different priorities. And when priorities differ, decisions do too.

This presentation takes you through the key differences between how teenagers make decisions and how adults do. At the same time, it also holds up a mirror—because, let's be honest, adults aren't always as rational as they like to think when it comes to making choices either. You might believe that your well-thought-out adult reasoning is airtight... but if only that were true.

Alongside this, Aletta Smits not only explains how the teenage brain works differently but also provides practical tips on how to help young people navigate the decisions they face.