Adolescence in Modern Children: Neurobiology, Digital Socialization and New Challenges Introduction: Redefining the Boundaries and Content of Adolescence Modern adolescence (adolescence) is not just a biologically determined stage but a complex sociocultural and neurocognitive phenomenon, whose boundaries and content have significantly transformed in the 21st century. The scientific discourse identifies two key trends: pubertal shift (earlier onset) and psychosocial stretching (later completion). If traditionally adolescence encompassed the period from 12 to 17 years, today its boundaries are blurred from 9-11 to 21-25 years, due to the extension of the education period, the delay in social and economic independence, and the influence of the digital environment. Neurobiological Foundations: 'Brain Repair' and the Dopamine System From a neuroscientific perspective, adolescence is a period of massive structural and functional brain reorganization (pruning and myelination). Dissonance in the development of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex: The limbic system (center of emotions, reward, particularly the nucleus accumbens) matures earlier than the prefrontal cortex, responsible for impulse control, planning, and decision-making. This imbalance explains the characteristic hypersensitivity to social approval, risk-taking propensity, and emotional lability of adolescents. The dopamine system, playing a key role in the reward mechanism, requires more intense stimuli for activation, leading to the search for novelty. Social brain: Areas responsible for mentality (the ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of others) — the posterior part of the superior temporal sulcus, the temporal-parietal junction — are actively developing. Adolescents become hyper-sensitive to social status, peer evaluation, and exclusion from the group. The Digital Environment as a New Coordinate System The main distinguishing context of development for modern adolescents is total di ... Read more