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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
CAUGHT IN THE MIRROR of her parents' truck, 12th grader Amy "Dandilion" Olsen waits at a light in downtown Austin, Texas.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
STANDING ON THE SPRAINED ANKLE that kept him in rehab for weeks, Trojans running back and co-captain Connor Sheehan had a choice: risk another injury or sit out what could be the first play-off victory in the history of Anderson High School in Austin—the city where National Geographic followed the lives of teens last fall. He chose to play, and he reinjured his ankle. Research suggests that, compared with adults, teens value rewards more than consequences. The Trojans won, and Sheehan hopes to play at Harvard this fall.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
THE CONCERT WAS UNLIKE ANY Austin Brown (center) had attended—a dance party called Dayglow where blasts of fluorescent paint rained down on crowds in downtown Austin. Black light made them shine. "If you weren't dancing, you were just standing there covered in paint," Brown said. "That doesn't sound like fun." The hunt for novelty can go awry when teens try to top each new kick with another, more intense one. But it also helps them find their path. A concertgoer since high school, Brown now studies lighting design in college.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
CRACKING JOKES IS PART of the daily repartee between Deborah Kipp and her daughter, Anastassia. The 18-year-old considers her mom a role model, always there and never bossy. Neuroscientist B. J. Casey, known for her work on the adolescent brain, notes: "The last thing you want to tell your teenager is what to be interested in, because then they'll go as far from it as possible." And there's nothing wrong if the teenager questions the parent's beliefs: It helps a teen develop a sense of identity.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
Decisions, Decisions
Cars and parties, first cigarettes and first dates, school demands and free time—teens encounter risks both large and small every day, and their choices can be puzzling at times. Think of it as an equation, says psychologist Laurence Steinberg, where consequences aren't given the weight they should be. And when teens are around friends, that throws off the equation even more. -
Photograph by Kitra Cahana
Decisions, Decisions
Cars and parties, first cigarettes and first dates, school demands and free time—teens encounter risks both large and small every day, and their choices can be puzzling at times. Think of it as an equation, says psychologist Laurence Steinberg, where consequences aren't given the weight they should be. And when teens are around friends, that throws off the equation even more. -
Photograph by Kitra Cahana
Decisions, Decisions
Cars and parties, first cigarettes and first dates, school demands and free time—teens encounter risks both large and small every day, and their choices can be puzzling at times. Think of it as an equation, says psychologist Laurence Steinberg, where consequences aren't given the weight they should be. And when teens are around friends, that throws off the equation even more. -
Photograph by Kitra Cahana
Decisions, Decisions
Cars and parties, first cigarettes and first dates, school demands and free time—teens encounter risks both large and small every day, and their choices can be puzzling at times. Think of it as an equation, says psychologist Laurence Steinberg, where consequences aren't given the weight they should be. And when teens are around friends, that throws off the equation even more. -
Photograph by Kitra Cahana
IT WAS KIND OF A DARE: If you do it, I'll do it. Taylor Dicristofalo (at right) said she probably wouldn't have had her tongue pierced if her best friend hadn't dragged her along on an "exciting and scary adventure" in downtown Austin. She tried to hide the piercing from her parents by not talking, but they figured it out. Months later, she removed the stud for a night. The hole closed up. Her grateful dad likened the stud's removal to an early Christmas gift.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
NO ELBOWS, NO KNEES. Their "fight club" had rules. At least one Friday a month, boys gathered after school in the backyard of Bryan Campbell (at far left) to wrestle and box. Campbell's mother made sure they kept it safe; a bloody nose was the worst injury. The boys often used phones to film their contests, posting the videos to a private Facebook group so more friends could admire their prowess. The rush of a headlock, a bond between friends—their fights delivered both excitement and social rewards.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
ON THE RANCH OUTSIDE AUSTIN where he and his father planned a hunt, Spencer O'Loughlin watches fellow hunters clean and pose with a buck. Teens may choose to hang out with peers, but structured interactions with parents and other adults are also crucial. O'Loughlin returned empty-handed after four days of waiting quietly with a bow and arrow in a tiny camouflage tent. To him the trip was an exercise in patience. Psychologists would call it a rite of passage.
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Photograph by Kitra Cahana
Sideline Leaders
Adults can guide teens as conductors, coaches, and cheerleaders. You just have to know when to pull back, says neuroscientist B. J. Casey, and let the teen do the work. -
Photograph by Kitra Cahana
Sideline Leaders
Adults can guide teens as conductors, coaches, and cheerleaders. You just have to know when to pull back, says neuroscientist B. J. Casey, and let the teen do the work.
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