New research suggests it might be time to rethink our ideas about when exactly a child becomes an adult.
Research suggests that most human brains take about 25 years to develop, though these rates can vary among men and women, and among individuals.
Although the human brain matures in size during adolescence, important developments within the prefrontal cortex and other regions still take pace well into one’s 20s. Professor Peter Jones, said:
“What we’re really saying is that to have a definition of when you move from childhood to adulthood looks increasingly absurd. It’s a much more nuanced transition that takes place over three decades.”